Cooperation

Inside the subterranean temporary palace. Two men and a tree were conversing. Of course, Liu Long could barely understand any of it. Had they not been communicating mentally—had they purely used the ancient tongue—he would have been completely lost. For now, it was slightly better; possessing spirit intent, he could perceive a fraction of their exchange. After communicating for a while, Li Hao glanced hesitantly at the distant palace. He suddenly said, "Senior Tree, mutual benefit is the outcome I hope to see, but I cannot be certain whether the return will match what I put in. The present and ancient times are different, so... I have a presumptuous request. I wonder if Senior would agree to it?" "What is it?" "Senior, you said you can gather energy to create a sacred cultivation ground... What is this so-called sacred cultivation ground like? I still have a few divine energy stones. Once Senior absorbs them, could you demonstrate a glimpse of it?" Having said that, Li Hao added, "Naturally, after absorbing more, Senior might become very powerful and might expel us, or even kill us. Therefore, to guard against all eventualities... I will act as a villain first and a gentleman later. I will strictly control the amount of divine energy stones. If Senior can offer matching benefits, I will naturally be eager to reach a partnership." Nurturing a tree would likely require no small expenditure. Judging from its condition, divine energy stones were probably just the bare minimum to it, and it even despised them as trash. Yet to Li Hao, they were already treasures. To everyone in this era, they were. If the cost was exorbitant and the gains meager... why bother talking about cooperation with this tree? Even if he did not want to kill it, without energy to sustain it, the tree would perish on its own. Li Hao harbored a measure of reverence for the ancient civilization, but that did not mean he would harm himself to benefit others. If the other party could not bring him any benefits, Li Hao would not invest much either. As for this temporary palace... As long as you are alive, I won't trespass to inspect it, all right? But if you die, I won't hold back. The tree demon seemed to ponder this. After a long while, its ripples came: "Acceptable... A symbiotic relationship between demon plants and humans, or demon plants and the demon race, has always been a viable scheme for survival... "Provide some energy stones first, and I will naturally show you the benefits..." Li Hao considered it for a moment, gritted his teeth, and produced a hundred divine energy stones. Naturally, they were not the military kind, but the ordinary ones used for daily cultivation. After several rounds of spoils, Li Hao had close to three thousand divine energy stones in hand. As for the military kind, where one stone equaled ten, Li Hao had only around twenty left. He was loath to squander those. Feeding them to the little sword produced far more potent sword energy; they could not be wasted. The sapling actually felt a touch of disdain... but under the current circumstances, having anything to absorb was fortunate enough. The energy contained within a hundred stones was not completely negligible either. Li Hao tossed out the hundred divine energy stones and said nothing more. He had offered so many in one go only because he had no other choice. Entities and legacies from the ancient civilization possessed enormous appetites; to them, a hundred trash divine energy stones were akin to a pile of refuse... Offer any less, and it might claim he was insulting it and turn hostile on the spot. The divine energy stones were thrown out, and the sapling's roots snaked outward, instantly piercing into them. Energy was drawn out by the sapling in an instant. Yet to the sapling, it was simply too meager. Such a tiny trickle of energy was truly a drop in the bucket. Regrettably, back when the energy surged once, it had not managed to absorb much in time, and afterward, the ambient energy of Silver Moon had nearly dispersed entirely. It had absorbed very little over all these years. Evidently, it was not the only entity drawing energy across the land of Silver Moon; even Battle Heaven City was absorbing it. The meager bit of recovering energy between heaven and earth was far from enough for their consumption, so how could the people of Silver Moon ever absorb any? After taking in some energy, the sapling also fell into contemplation. No one knew how much time had passed before a faint, peculiar energy drifted outward from the tree's trunk. It was extremely weak. As this peculiar energy drifted close to Li Hao, he subconsciously wanted to repel it, but quickly realized what it was. After a moment of hesitation, he absorbed a tiny wisp. The instant he absorbed that tiny bit... Li Hao felt a peculiar sensation. It felt somewhat like the spring water of life... or rather, like the sensation of entering the bathhouse back in Battle Heaven City—a comfortable feeling of being thoroughly nourished. Beside him, Liu Long absorbed a tiny bit as well. He let out a low groan and transmitted mentally to Li Hao: "What a bizarre energy..." Li Hao gave a slight nod. This was likely the unique aspect of these tree demons. In the next moment, however, the sapling's ripples resonated once more: "At present, I am half-destroyed and can only release a wisp of life energy. This energy can accelerate cultivation, extend lifespan, and heal hidden injuries. In truth, all of this is merely secondary..." Li Hao pricked up his ears. This was merely secondary? Then what was primary? "Cultivating near me, I can release a wisp of origin power from the ancient dao to aid your cultivation." "Origin power?" Li Hao was somewhat puzzled. What was that? The sapling seemed shocked by his ignorance. Only after a long pause did it continue: "Origin—the origin of martial arts, which is the essence of martial arts... In fact, I am quite curious about you people. To say you are strong, you are very strong; to say you are weak, you are very weak... But your... those mental ripples of yours from before, were they not an expression of origin?" "Origin power is the fundamental power of martial arts. For example, the fierce tiger you revealed earlier—that is a type of dao. However... there also seem to be differences... How strange. You are different from the Neo-Martial martial artists in my memory." It did not know how to explain it either. By Neo-Martial standards, Li Hao and his peers were very peculiar. Spirit intent was far more than simple mental energy; it even touched upon the origin of martial arts. Strictly speaking, these people had already embarked on the process of seeking the pinnacle of martial arts. Yet... in terms of actual strength, there was an immense disparity. It did not know how to describe or articulate it. It was merely a demon, and an inherited demon at that, rather than a great demon that had attained cultivation through its own efforts. Otherwise, it might have been able to resolve Li Hao's perplexities. Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. "Spirit intent?" He looked at the sapling, suddenly struck by an idea. "Force... wood force... You are a tree..." He abruptly brandished his sword, causing the sapling to grow instantly vigilant. However, it soon lowered its guard. Li Hao was executing the Willow Catkin Sword. A moment later, Li Hao halted his movements and asked, "Senior, what do you think of this swordsmanship?" The Willow Catkin Sword led straight to the sword of wood force. Yet during this time, Li Hao had made virtually no progress with it. The sapling sent a mental ripple: "This... this seems to be a human sword technique from the Neo-Martial era... It carries some of the flavor of that era, different from your previous martial arts, isn't it?" "Correct!" Li Hao said urgently, "Can this help me comprehend wood force? Oh, I mean just like earlier... similar to that fierce tiger..." He did not know how to phrase it either. The sapling pondered. "You wish to comprehend the sword dao of wood?" "Yes!" Li Hao nodded. That was roughly what he meant. "I do not know how to comprehend it... However, if you cultivate beside me, experiencing the energy of life and comprehending the origin of life, you might be able to grasp it. Alas, Father has already fallen; otherwise, Father would certainly..." Li Hao's eyes gleamed. Could it work? Right now, his greatest regret and most pressing concern was precisely this: he had been unable to unleash all five forces together. Otherwise, why would he fear the likes of the White Shark Pirates? The sapling added, "However, to release a bit of origin power requires an immense quantity of energy stones... What you provided is far from enough!" "How many?" "It is... even harder than condensing life essence. At least three times that amount is required just to release a wisp." Li Hao was stunned. "Thir... thirty thousand stones?" Stop joking around! Are you kidding me?! Three thousand military cultivation stones—wouldn't that be thirty thousand of the ordinary stones on the surface? What a joke! The sapling explained, "Origin power is a force that transcends higher tiers. Even for me, it is exceedingly difficult to release. Of course, there are other methods. For example, slaying..." At this point, it abruptly shut its mouth. Li Hao seemed to realize something and looked at the sapling. In that moment, the atmosphere grew solemn. The sapling had merely inherited its legacy and had not experienced much tempering; it had just let the secret slip. Evidently, slaying humans or demons possessing origin power could also release it. The sapling remained silent. Li Hao took the initiative to speak: "Senior means that slaying beings with origin power can release it as well, correct?" The sapling was silent for a while before replying, "Indeed!" If this person wanted to kill it... then they would battle! Li Hao did not pursue that angle, shifting the topic instead: "Are there any other ways? Exchanging a small amount of energy for a release of origin power to aid my comprehension of force is all I need. I have no other demands regarding origin power..." "You seem to have already comprehended several types." The sapling continued, "You are very peculiar... Of course, there were some people like you in the Neo-Martial era as well. If you wish to comprehend more daos, you must discard the comprehension of other origin daos... Back then, certain prominent figures had unique methods to screen them. "I do not possess many good methods to help you... However, I can still release some origin power. It does not necessarily require your so-called divine energy stones. There is another way..." "What is it?" Li Hao was expectant, yet worried the conditions would be even more troublesome. "You seem to carry... some other god armaments on you..." "God armaments? Origin God Armaments?" Somewhat puzzled, Li Hao produced an Origin God Armament. He had quite a few on him: the Wheel-Turning King's wind chime, Xu Feng's gauntlet and heart-protecting mirror, the black sword belonging to Elder Chi Ming of Feitian, and an earth-attribute armor obtained from killing a Yama leader. At this moment, Li Hao produced the earth-attribute armor. This item had the lowest value. Of course, Li Hao also had the Giant Kun Divine Boat, which was an Origin God Armament as well, though rather different from ordinary ones. "Not this one..." The sapling seemed to sense something and transmitted: "If there is one suitable for me, such as a wood-attribute god armament, it could also provide me with an abundance of the energy I require, because god armaments were forged from the corpses of demon plants and the demon race back then..." The moment it said this, it seemed to realize it had misspoken again! Sure enough, Li Hao was looking at the collapsed, shattered giant tree nearby. The giant tree was broken and fallen. Yet it had not completely pulverized. Did the sapling mean it could absorb power of the same attribute? As Li Hao pondered, the sapling grew somewhat agitated: "Father's remains have already merged into the defensive formation of the entire temporary palace. They cannot be used. Even if they could, they must not be touched. Do not think of such things!" Li Hao hurriedly nodded. "Understood. I was merely curious... why did this temporary palace leave a pit open?" Indeed, had it been sealed like Battle Heaven City, wouldn't it be impossible to enter easily? "You... you do not understand." The sapling sounded somewhat helpless. "Without leaving an opening, I wouldn't have been able to absorb even a shred of energy. Father's remains sealed the entire temporary palace, which also meant I could no longer draw any power. I could only open a tiny fissure to absorb a bit of energy. I never expected that opening it would draw you here." "Can it not be closed again?" "It can... but once closed, I will fall back into deep slumber." The sapling seemed somewhat resigned. "The person last time wasn't very strong and was intimidated by me. So I thought I could hold out for a while longer, drawing and storing some energy sufficient for me to consume for some time... In the end, you came, and you saw through my true state." Li Hao had witnessed it consuming divine energy stones; otherwise, Li Hao would likely have acted like Golden Spear—either leaving directly or fetching more people to return. At this moment, many thoughts crossed Li Hao's mind. He suddenly asked, "Senior Tree, by that logic, could some experts have slept until today just like Senior? For instance, certain experts from the Neo-Martial era..." "Why would they sleep?" The sapling took on a grave tone. "Father was heavily wounded and had to guard the temporary palace, which left him no choice but to choose slumber... The experts of the Neo-Martial era would never choose slumber. You don't understand! If there are any, they are either in a situation like mine, unable to leave, or too heavily wounded, or bound by duty... I understand what you mean. You are wondering whether there are Neo-Martial experts who did not follow the Human King and the others when they departed... Impossible. As long as they were able to fight, every single one of them left!" As long as they were able to fight, every single one of them left. Li Hao quietly contemplated the weight of those words. "Then... did the Human King leave no one behind to guard this land?" A tree could survive for thirty thousand years without dying. Then what of the other experts from the ancient civilization? "I do not know, but probably not... In my memory, if the Human King could resolve the enemy himself, he went alone. If he couldn't... then the entire nest mobilized; he would never leave experts behind to guard the rear. However, the rear shouldn't have been too perilous either... Any enemies would be eradicated at the front lines. If turmoil arose in the rear, it could only be internal strife or trouble of their own making... "The Human King's philosophy was: I am exterminating the enemy abroad. If the rear falls into chaos, tearing itself apart... then they deserve it. If they die, so be it; he wouldn't care. When he was benevolent, he could not bear to see the common people suffer. But when he was ruthless... everyone trembled in fear." At this moment, Li Hao's interest was thoroughly piqued. The ancient Human King! If it was the person in his memory, that was quite intriguing: when killing people, he was vicious beyond measure. Yet according to the sapling, he also pitied the common people. Naturally, whenever that figure struck, it was with full force—either bringing no one or bringing everyone. Even more interestingly, he didn't seem afraid of internal strife in the rear; if chaos arose... he simply ignored it. If chaos occurred, it was an internal conflict. Fight all you want; even if you all die, he wouldn't care. Thinking of the present... Li Hao's heart stirred slightly. In any case, he had never heard of foreign invasions; rather, internal strife within the dynasty was endless. He wanted to ask a few more questions, but the sapling said, "Do not speak too much of the Human King. It is best not to mention the names of such experts. If their true names are spoken too often, they might perceive it across countless ages and vast distances. However, being perceived by them is not necessarily a good thing; it might be a calamity... Because they may not be able to distinguish friend from foe, and might use certain means to directly curse and slay whoever speaks their name." Li Hao froze. "That's impossible, isn't it? Besides, countless years have passed..." "Everything is possible!" The sapling warned, "This heaven and earth might have already been restricted in some ways. We are unable to speak their true names, which is also a form of protection to distinguish friend from foe. If their names are spoken at this moment, one might be cursed to death!" "What if someone shares the same name?" "You do not understand the profound mysteries of the Great Dao!" The sapling spoke no further. Li Hao was too foolish... no, his knowledge was far too shallow; he simply did not understand the underlying principles. Li Hao felt helpless! In any case, he was used to it. Ancient figures frequently looked down on him, and now even an ancient tree shared the sentiment. Did this fellow still want him to save it or not? "In other words, if I provide you with enough wood-attribute energy or wood-attribute Origin God Armaments, you can release some origin power for me to comprehend?" "Correct." "Can I condense spirit intent? Like what you saw earlier?" "I do not know." Fine, then! It would suffice to simply try it out. With that in mind, Li Hao took out the other Origin God Armaments. "Are any of these suitable for you?" "None... However, if you are willing, I can also absorb a bit from them. It would just require a greater quantity to provide enough of what is needed..." Li Hao sighed! Raising the little sword required a massive amount of resources. Now, this tree required them as well. And the dog was also an insatiable glutton. Li Hao realized that compared to them, his own consumption was truly nothing. Yet if he could comprehend wood force, never mind divine energy stones, even if all five Origin God Armaments were consumed, he wouldn't care. In this era, once your strength was formidable, would you ever need to worry about lacking these things? If all else failed, he could take a stroll through Red Moon, the Three Great Organizations, the Nine Departments, the imperial family, the Linjiang Governor-General's Manor... Or at the very least, hunt some pirates. Apart from these Origin God Armaments on him, he had also obtained a long saber from slaying Sea Shark last time. However, that saber was somewhat peculiar; it did not seem to be a pure Origin God Armament, being incomparably sturdy yet lacking an armament spirit. Li Hao had stored it away and had not used it yet. He laid out the five Origin God Armaments. "In your estimate, how many would you need to absorb before you can provide some origin power for me to comprehend? At least let me test the benefits of this peculiar power, or I won't have much motivation." "That earth armor, the heart-protecting mirror, and the small black sword can be given to me to absorb as a test. The earth armor seems to be crafted from the hide of an earth dragon beast, the small black sword appears to be forged from the corpse of a black hell hound, and the heart-protecting mirror should be crafted from a mountain-cleaving pangolin..." The sapling distinguished them, then added, "The gauntlet and that bell are of slightly higher rank and easily wasted. These three are merely crafted from the corpses of low-grade demon beasts, so they can be absorbed as a trial." Li Hao already knew the wind chime was of high rank. Was this gauntlet... of high rank as well? Li Hao pondered inwardly, thinking of Southern Fist. Last time, Southern Fist seemed to have stared at it for quite a while, though Li Hao hadn't paid much attention back then. Could Southern Fist have been interested in it? Was he simply too embarrassed to say so? Li Hao deliberated. Giving a few divine energy stones was fine, but giving Origin God Armaments—and three of them at once—meant that after absorbing them, this entity might become far stronger. At that point, it wouldn't be easy to handle. If it turned hostile, he might end up feeding the enemy and courting death. After careful consideration, Li Hao said again, "Then I will have my friends wait outside. Additionally, I'll summon a few friends to guard me from outside. That shouldn't be an issue, right?" The sapling: "..." If you don't trust me, just say so directly. Li Hao explained, "Those friends of mine are stronger than me and possess broader experience. Perhaps they have better ways to aid Senior's recovery..." "No need!" The sapling cut him off. "You simply do not feel safe with me absorbing too much energy. However, I do not wish for too many outsiders to come here either. How about this: you do not need to enter first. Let this person beside you stay behind to comprehend it. If it is effective, you can weigh your options again." Li Hao looked at Liu Long. Liu Long chuckled and nodded. "We can give it a try. The benefits might be immense! But I am of the water attribute..." This tree was perhaps of the wood attribute, or perhaps of the life attribute. To Liu Long, the help might not be significant. Furthermore, this required consuming Origin God Armaments. Li Hao pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "How about I have Li Heng come down? I'll explain the situation to him clearly. He has already reached the Hundred-Breaker culmination and happens to be comprehending the sword intent of wood force. If it helps, perhaps it can allow him to step into the Thousand-Battler realm. If he cannot even enter the Thousand-Battler realm, it means the help to me will be limited." Liu Long considered it. "Him? That could work. But... are you... are you at ease with that?" Li Hao smiled. "What is there to worry about? Boss, didn't you say it yourself? Once someone joins us, they are one of our own. Besides, didn't we bring everyone along this time precisely so that some people might have the hope of stepping into the Thousand-Battler realm?" Liu Long chuckled self-deprecatingly. "True enough. It was narrow-minded of me!" Li Hao looked at the sapling and said, "I have some subordinates outside. One of them cultivates the Willow Catkin Sword and is weaker than us. I'd like to let him come down, and you can devour an Origin God Armament to release a bit of your so-called origin power for him to comprehend... Would that be acceptable?" "As you wish." The sapling had indeed sensed that there were people outside. However, their strength did not seem impressive. Li Hao said no more. He quickly departed with Liu Long, stepping across the air and ascending rapidly. Once they left, the sapling swayed its branches and looked toward the fallen giant tree nearby. Though it was merely a tree, its gaze seemed to converge entirely upon the great trunk. "Father..." The sapling watched the giant tree, and finally looked toward the castle not far away. Guarding the temporary palace had been Father's duty, not its own. Father had fallen, yet it continued to stand guard here. Twenty years ago, it could have left, yet it had never departed. It was a sapling left behind when the old tree fell, sprouting from the old tree's roots. Calling it an offspring was accurate, but it could also be considered a rebirth of the original body. Guarding this abandoned temporary palace seemed to have become its mission as well. If possible, it did not want Li Hao to enter. However, under the current circumstances, it was exceedingly frail, and this place had already been discovered. If it did not rapidly strengthen itself, more experts might arrive to explore the secret. Even if this temporary palace had been deserted and abandoned, it was still the villa of the supreme existence of the past. It could not be left for others to intrude upon at will! "Therefore... cooperation is the only choice... He is a regimental commander of Battle Heaven City. Presumably, Battle Heaven City has not been completely destroyed and still retains its assessment mechanisms. Since Huai Zhan was willing to bestow a drop of life essence, he probably hasn't completely perished either, perhaps placing his hopes on this person to find a sliver of vitality for him..." The sapling thought to itself. Li Hao assumed the sapling was willing to negotiate cooperation with anyone it encountered; in reality, that was vastly underestimating himself. Had Li Hao not produced that drop of spring water of life, had it not been for the silver armor, and had it not been for the Starry Sky Sword... what awaited Li Hao would have been nothing less than the sapling's desperate, fight-to-the-death struggle. The bloodline of the Eight Great Families was sometimes useless, but at other times, it served as a stepping stone for many matters. Without it, Li Hao would have found it difficult to join Battle Heaven City; without this bloodline, he could never have smoothly reached a cooperative agreement with the sapling. …… Inside the cavern. Everyone was waiting anxiously. Right at this moment, two figures returned, one behind the other. Li Hao leaped up and looked toward Li Heng in the crowd. Caught by his gaze, Li Heng felt a bit apprehensive: "Commander, why are you looking at me like that?" Why look at me so intensely? "Do you want to step into the Thousand-Battler realm?" Li Heng froze, and the others were startled as well. Liu Yan and a few others wore exceedingly strange expressions. Given such an opportunity, he hadn't called them, but had called Li Heng... Was sharing a surname really worth such favoritism? Li Heng was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Of course I do! But strengthening force is exceedingly difficult... Commander, do you have a way?" From the Hundred-Breaker culmination to the Thousand-Battler realm, there was only one requirement: strengthening one's force until it reached the point of transformation. Yet this process often dragged on for many years. Yuan Shuo, for instance, had spent decades on it, and the same was true for others. Liu Long had stepped straight into the Thousand-Battler realm, but that was thanks to external assistance. "I do, but it is very dangerous!" Li Hao was blunt and said directly, "Down below, a tree demon has reached an agreement with me. It can provide a method to strengthen our force! Of course, the price to pay is immense, using Origin God Armaments as fuel... I am not begrudging the cost, but rather worried it harbors other schemes. Therefore, I need someone to go down first to test the waters and see the results before making a decision..." Bang! With a loud thud, Li Heng pushed off the ground and dashed toward the underground opening: "Commander, I'll test the waters for you..." Before his voice had even faded, he had already jumped down! Li Hao was left speechless. He looked at Liu Long, then at the others. At this moment, the rest were equally dumbfounded. This fellow... before Li Hao had even finished speaking, as if terrified the opportunity would slip away, he had jumped right down! Li Hao felt a headache coming on. "I... forget it!" I hadn't even finished speaking, why the hell did you jump?! He had wanted to instruct the fellow to be careful and keep an eye on the tree, but the man had already leaped down. What could he say? Without further words, Li Hao tossed the earth-attribute armor into the hole. "Senior, absorb this first to see. If it isn't enough, we'll talk again." It was merely for a Hundred-Breaker to comprehend. If even a single Origin God Armament wasn't enough... Li Hao would have to consider whether it was worth the cost. The sapling did not respond. The space below grew quiet as well, void of movement. After a long while, a subtle change seemed to occur below. Li Hao sensed an aura rising, which soon vanished. Just like that, about an hour passed. Li Hao was growing somewhat anxious, a grim look settling over his face as he began considering whether to charge down... Right then, a figure suddenly shot out! Li Heng landed somewhat unsteadily. Li Hao looked at him, his gaze shifting slightly—Thousand-Battler! Indeed, Li Heng had stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm! Yet Li Heng looked somewhat bewildered and dazed. Seeing Li Hao, he snapped back to his senses, saying in confusion, "Commander... this... am I a Thousand-Battler now?" "Yes. How does it feel?" "I don't know." Li Heng said dazedly, "There wasn't much of a feeling. It was just... like entering a patch of darkness, and then seeing a path, a very narrow path. Then, vaguely, I seemed to see some people fighting, as well as trees and demons... And then... I woke up, and I had entered the Thousand-Battler realm. I barely felt anything myself." Li Hao knitted his brows. Just like that? That simple? After pondering for a moment, Li Hao said no more. Without having Liu Long follow, he leaped down alone. …… At this moment, the sapling was no longer translucent and crystalline, appearing somewhat wilted. "The people of your era are very strange... I originally thought I could guide you onto the origin road, but in reality, it failed... Perhaps the path you walk is no longer the same as ours back then..." By "ours," it was not referring to itself, but the memories it had inherited; it was practically a replica of the old tree. "However, the essence of martial arts remains similar. All paths lead to the same destination; ten thousand daos return to one. In the end, it is still the same... "How do you think the effect was?" Li Hao nodded. "Very good! If he relied on his own cultivation without external aids, it would have taken at least ten years before having any hope of stepping into the Thousand-Battler realm." Ten years was the baseline. Yuan Shuo had spent decades unable to enter the Thousand-Battler realm... Though of course, that was related to his fusion of five forces. A single session of comprehension, exchanging one Origin God Armament for a Thousand-Battler—Li Hao felt it was well worth it. After a moment's thought, Li Hao hesitated no longer and tossed out the remaining two Origin God Armaments: "Can you release some for me to comprehend?" "I can... However, you cannot remain immersed in my dao for long. Mine is not yours; you may comprehend a bit, but you cannot copy it blindly. Otherwise, you will not go far..." Li Hao said nothing, waiting quietly. A moment later, the sapling took the two Origin God Armaments into its body, making them disappear. A peculiar ripple slowly drifted outward. Li Hao hesitated no further, choosing to give it a try. Naturally, the sword in his hand was never lowered. He did not place absolute trust in this tree either. Gradually, his vision darkened, and before long, he seemed to plunge into darkness. Just as Li Heng had described, a path faintly emerged within this dark space. Li Hao was currently treading upon this path. Upon the muddy little road, several figures seemed to materialize. Li Hao's mind remained fairly lucid; his formidable spirit intent converged at this moment, rendering him all the more sober. He looked carefully and seemed to witness scenes—witnessing the slow growth process of a towering giant tree. There was little magnificence, only ordinariness and tranquility. It had been planted beside the temporary palace. Near this palace, one year, a wretched-looking old man arrived. Then, that old man pulled a cat from his robes... a fruit shaped like a cat, and fed it to this tree. "Growing here, your luck isn't bad. However, my visit to this temporary palace is to announce its decommissioning. The war situation is tense, and the Great Emperor probably won't come again. Otherwise, growing here, you would have had quite an opportunity. What a pity..." With that, he fed the giant tree a fruit and added, "Giving you a cat fruit to have a taste; you might also have hope of carving out your own path. I'll take my leave first. Later, if someone inspects and asks you about this, tell them you ate five of my cat fruits... No, ten!" The old man patted the giant tree. "As an old senior, life isn't easy for me either. I'm constantly being plucked bald every day. At long last, I have an excuse to keep a few more. Did you remember that?" Back then, the giant tree had seemed somewhat ignorant, yet it still swayed its trunk to signify that it remembered. The wretched old man chuckled, revealing yellowed teeth, and patted the giant tree again. "You have a future. I'll be off, then. By the way, even though this place is abandoned, don't let anyone else enter... Keep an eye on it, lest they make a mess of the place..." Having said that, the old man vanished. That was likely the most unforgettable event, the proudest moment, and the greatest fortune in this tree's martial path. An old man had gifted it a fruit. From then on, the giant tree grew wildly, becoming powerful. As the palace guards withdrew, it became the sole guard, the only caretaker of this abandoned temporary palace. Because the old man had said: even if it is abandoned... do not let others enter. At this moment, Li Hao vaguely seemed to transform into a tree as well, growing alongside this tree. Through wind and rain, through sun and frost, day after day, year after year. Just as he was experiencing and comprehending this, Li Hao's vision suddenly blurred. The sapling reappeared before his eyes, looking even more frail. It seemed to be staring at Li Hao. "Your eyes..." Li Hao was startled, still somewhat dazed as countless images surfaced in his mind. He shook his head, asking in surprise, "Eyes?" The sapling did not know how to describe it. At this moment, Li Hao's eyes were not much different from normal. Yet the sapling felt something was distinct. Only after a long while did it say, "Your eyes—you should pay attention to them. They might be Delusion-Breaking Eyes, or Sword Eyes... Legend has it that your ancestor was incomparably powerful, and the path he walked was somewhat different from ours. In the past, he shattered his own origin dao. Strictly speaking... you people today might... have been influenced by him, no longer walking the origin dao, but a unique martial dao." Li Hao listened intently. The sapling added, "Your eyes—you can study them more... In addition, the god armaments you provided could only allow me to release this much. If I continue, my origin will be damaged!" Li Hao did not speak, but nodded and quieted down. At this moment, he was still silently comprehending everything he had seen earlier. The images were not the key; the key was that he had seemingly projected himself into the experience, becoming a tree that grew continuously. That was the core. Li Hao brandished the Starry Sky Sword, the Willow Catkin Sword flowing out gracefully. One strike followed another. Vaguely, he grasped some insights, yet it was not so direct and clean-cut. He always felt that within the haze, something still stood in between. It was very difficult to break through! If he could break through it, perhaps he could comprehend wood force. After a long time, when Li Hao snapped out of it, the sapling transmitted mentally: "Do not be impatient. It is very normal. You have comprehended multiple paths; perhaps after a few more times, you will be able to grasp it." Li Hao smiled wryly. This consumption was extraordinarily high—destroying three Origin God Armaments in one go! Even an imperial prince wasn't as prodigal as him! From the start of his cultivation until now, how many had he shattered? As for Origin God Armaments, the little sword had also absorbed several. Li Hao took a deep breath, suppressing those emotions. "Senior, can you leave this place?" "No. I need to guard this place." Li Hao said nothing. He thought back to that scene he had vaguely witnessed earlier. Back then, it was merely an offhand remark from a wretched old man, yet the sapling's father had guarded this place for thirty thousand years! Even down to the sapling's generation, it was still carrying out its father's mission. One had to admit that when these demons became stubborn, they were truly worthy of admiration. "Then if I wish to find Senior, I can only come here?" "Correct." The sapling continued, "If you can provide me with enough energy, I can seal that passage. Father's remains have sealed this area; as long as that passage is closed, no one can enter... You can allow people to enter this place to cultivate, and you can come over anytime yourself, provided you can supply enough energy." In other words, if Li Hao was willing, this place could be turned into his personal exclusive secret realm. However, this place was somewhat far from White Moon City—five to six hundred li. Of course, once one became powerful, the travel time would be very fast. Li Hao glanced at the distant castle. "Senior, this place has already been abandoned. I... I also saw a few things. When that old man came back then, he seemed to have taken some things away. This place is likely just an empty shell. Why..." "I do not know, but Father said we cannot leave, so we cannot leave." Li Hao felt helpless! In truth, he still wanted to bring this one out with him. After all... this tree felt quite formidable; it had seemed very weak earlier, likely due to a lack of energy. Even so, Golden Spear had been helpless against it. Had Li Hao not seen through its true state, he might not have dared to fight it head-on either. It was still very formidable! He calculated for a moment and only felt that he was too poor. Otherwise, he could condense spring water of life and continuously enter that scene just now to grow alongside the sapling; perhaps then he could comprehend wood force. He still had a few Origin God Armaments in hand, but having just absorbed some, Li Hao had not fully digested it yet. He could not be too wasteful; he would return next time. "Right, Senior, that cat-like fruit..." "That is a supreme treasure, though it has likely been lost to time by now. It was the companion product of a senior expert. That person was actually a demon plant as well..." Li Hao froze. A demon plant? That old man? "Senior means demons can transform into human form?" "Of course. For the demon race, it is somewhat easier; for demon plants, it is harder... but there is hope for both." Li Hao was deep in thought, and his mind turned to the dog outside. Could that Black Panther turn into a human as well? That was somewhat terrifying. A dog turning into a human—how terrifying would that be! "Senior, I still have some divine energy stones here that I can let Senior absorb. Can I let my subordinates come down to cultivate?" "Of course!" The sapling had no reason to refuse. After all, absorbing some to provide for Li Hao's subordinates also allowed it to secretly pocket a portion to aid its own recovery—a tacit agreement between both sides. Otherwise, the sapling would have to be an idiot to cooperate with Li Hao. Clearly, Li Hao understood this principle as well. Li Hao also wanted to see the effects of cultivating here. Furthermore, the energy provided by the sapling seemed similar to energy neutralized by the sword energy, which meant Li Hao might no longer need to act as an intermediary. Every time everyone cultivated, he had to serve as the intermediary medium, which was hardly a good thing. After a moment, Li Hao called everyone down to cultivate here. He also took out a large quantity of divine energy stones. Naturally, the others were fine, but when the dog entered, the sapling appeared somewhat wary. Even though it was merely a tree, Li Hao could detect its vigilance. It seemed terrified that the dog would slip into the palace while it wasn't paying attention. In truth, Black Panther genuinely wanted to slip inside, but was driven away several times by the sapling. Helpless, Black Panther could only lie on the ground, staring at the palace in deep thought. Vaguely, some things seemed to surface in its memories... This place, or rather, this kind of cat-shaped palace—in the past, or countless ages ago, its ancestors should have been able to enter and leave at will. The dog glanced at the palace, then looked at the tree... Another sliver of memory from the depths of its bloodline was awakened. In the past, its ancestors seemed to have liked plucking a tree as well. It didn't know if this was the one; in any case, the memory was very blurry. The imprint in its bloodline caused it to think of many things at this moment.