In Tokyo, the dungeon master

Kyoka Shihōin was unaware of the immense good fortune she had received or the gifts she had been bestowed upon her.

In just a moment, my body had a strange reaction, and my mind seemed to have gained a lot of basic "common sense," which seemed to urgently need "spiritual meditation" to digest.

Out of sheer surprise, Kyoka Shihouin couldn't help but speak up:

"Huh? What's the spirit world?"

Shirakawa Manka was also a little curious as to why Kyoka's reaction was different from hers... Could it be because magical girls have more power?

Also, why do you call yourself "master" in English, while Kyoka can call her "mentor" in Japanese?

She didn't quite understand and tilted her head.

Could it be that our ancestors considered themselves students of the Western side, and Jinghua students of the Eastern side?

Speaking of which, why doesn't the old patriarch, who is known as the Sword Saint, use a sword? He has always given me the impression of a magician. Do magicians use swords?

Forget it, I won't think about it too much. In any case, the Shirakawa family are his descendants, while the Shihōin family are not. There are differences in kinship, and she arrived first, so there's no reason why she should be treated worse than Kyoka.

Magical girls are definitely a better choice. Would the old ancestor harm himself?

Gu Meng ignored Shirakawa Banka's reaction and smiled at Shihōin Kyoka:

"Think carefully, some things are right in your mind."

At the same time, Shihouin Kyoka finally realized what was happening.

The current situation is that she came to find Gu Meng herself... She originally thought he would say some roundabout things to test her, since magicians are all mysterious and enigmatic riddle-makers in her mind.

Unexpectedly, it was confirmed directly. The other party had no intention of hiding anything, once again demonstrating the extraordinary abilities of a superhuman.

Then, because of his courage, he rewarded himself handsomely...

The reward should mean that one can also become an extraordinary being, embark on the "Path of the Fire Sword," and become a true witch.

The gift he gave himself was a seed from the "Tree of Life"...

Just as I said when we parted last time, I didn't give myself a choice.

As for why he knew, it was because while "accepting" the gift, the basic knowledge of the Path of the Fire Sword and the Tree of Life was already in his mind. That's really...

The Tree of Life, also known as the Tree of Reverse Life.

Composed of ten elements and twenty-two pathways, it symbolizes the structure of the universe and the path to human spiritual ascension. Through the four worlds and three pillars, it describes the process of God's creation and the metaphor of humanity's return to divinity.

Kyoka Shihōin had encountered this concept before in some anime works—the Tree of Life and the Tree of Good and Evil in Genesis share the same origin.

Since Shirakawa and her mother are fans of anime, it's natural that Shihouin Kyoka would also study anime. Although she doesn't like it, her understanding of many things is much deeper than that of Shirakawa and her mother.

Shirakawa Manka would say something to her, and she would chime in with a few words; that was roughly the process.

If the wife were truly intelligent, she would realize that no matter what topic she brought up, Kyoka Shihōin could always respond, but she would only say the right thing and wouldn't say anything extra.

Actually, she knows much more than someone like Shirakawa Manka, who only knows how to brag, because Kyoka actually puts in the effort to read the original texts and do research.

The Tree of Life can be considered the World Tree, or it can be said that it is not a real tree, but a symbol, representing the self, the entire universe, and the indescribable and unseen great existence.

Jinghua felt that it probably had some similarities and differences with the World Tree and the divine tree that connects the heavens and the human world in various myths.

While the message mentions great beings, it also warns lower-level extraordinary individuals never to delve too deeply, or they will inevitably descend into madness.

Simply view the Tree of Life as two existences: the Great Source of the Universe and the Small Source of the Body.

The Great Source is the vast universe of heaven and earth, while the Small Source is the microcosm of the human body. The spiritual journey of communicating with the Great Source, developing the Small Source, and reaching the realm of the gods is cultivation.

Whether it's the Great Tree of Life symbolizing the Great Source or the Small Tree of Life symbolizing the Small Source, both are composed of ten "primordial substances" and twenty-two "pathways".

Humans are born ignorant. They strengthen their spirit through spiritual journeys, meditation, ingesting magic potions, ascetic practices, self-torture, pilgrimages, and so on. Once they awaken in the sea of ​​the mind, they can reach the first primal "kingdom" and become truly extraordinary.

Even if the process goes smoothly, it could take more than a decade.

Unless one is an exceptional genius, one in ten thousand with unwavering will and a special physique, it is possible to rise to the top in one step. Such a person's future advancement will also be faster than that of ordinary people.

There are even a very small number of people who are born to remain in the first primordial "kingdom," but they have never awakened and do not know how to use their power. However, they do not need to go through any prior preparations; they only need an "enlightenment" to become extraordinary.

Thinking of this, Shihouin Kyoka couldn't help but sigh, "There are actually people with such geniuses; it's truly enviable."

If such a genius truly exists, it's probably only... Shihouin Kyoka looked at Shirakawa Manka.

She thought that only an omnipotent young lady, practically like Camille, would have such qualifications.

After the first element, the next element is generally the "foundation" of the second element, but this is not absolute.

All extraordinary beings share the same starting point, the "Kingdom," and the final destination, the "Crown," but their journeys in between can take different paths.

Besides the lateral choices inherent in the twenty-two paths themselves, some people can take a faster route, such as directly from the first element to the third element through a faster route, and then rebuild the second element from a higher position.

It is said that this will bring great benefits, but ordinary extraordinary people should not even think about it.

From the First Primal Kingdom, through this journey that continues until the Crown, this long, interconnected road is known as the Path of the Fire Sword, also the long stairway for mortals to ascend to godhood.

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is not the same tree as the Tree of Life. The process by which humanity falls from the state of perfect humanity is called the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Legend has it that only two born divine children, Adam, the "ancestor of mankind," and Orman, the "whole man," and a "mysterious man" have truly experienced the complete process of falling from the tenth level of the divine realm back to the human world.

All things in the world, and even all the laws of the universe, are inherently neither good nor evil. It was only after humanity fell into depravity and developed the concept of "self" that the distinction between good and evil arose.

When humanity realizes it must return to the state of perfect humanity and reach the realm of gods, the path to reverse ascension is the Tree of Life, which is why the Tree of Life is called the Tree of Reverse Ascension.

Those who follow their nature will never reach the realm of gods; they can only remain mortals.

Extraordinary individuals can return to the realm of Eden through the Tree of Rebirth. This process is arduous and painful, fraught with difficulties and dangers. Each time one enters the next primordial state, one must use willpower to sever inner demons and strength to overcome the guardian angel of that primordial state. Therefore, it is called the Path of the Fire Sword.

Currently, only two and a half people have reached the end of this painful road.

It is said that the unrestrained, growing Reverse Tree of Life also has ten corresponding demonic elements, symbolizing the corrupt nature, but no one has reached the end.

If we use common sense as an analogy, an ordinary person is at level zero, living on the ground. Climbing a mountain, reaching the summit, and leaping with all their might, finally breaking free from gravity and becoming higher than the sky, represents the tenth level of becoming a true god. This is the Tree of Life system.

Falling from the mountaintop to the ground is the tree that distinguishes between good and evil.

If one can jump from the ground into the abyss and survive to the Earth's core, it means one is a negative tenth-order demon god. No one has ever traversed this path of the reversed Tree of Life.

However, even among the Tree of Life cases with successes, only Orman can be considered to have succeeded. Adam and the mysterious man both failed at the tenth level for different reasons...

Kyoka Shihōin always felt that this system didn't have a bright future; wasn't there anything easier...?

Let's assume this is a reward.

No, this is indeed a reward. Shihouin Kyoka quickly realized that, in any case, this was an opportunity to become a superhuman. Even if he couldn't reach the tenth rank, he could still possess magic power at the first rank, something many people would kill for.

She now feels only gratitude towards Mr. Sun.

"But, Mr. Sun, no, mentor—"

Noticing the weight of that knowledge, Jinghua chose to change her address:

Why did you choose me?

"Because..." Gu Meng glanced at Shirakawa Manka, "because our family has declined..."

……