Above the mage

Chapter 291 Helping Seedlings Grow by Pulling Them Up

"This feeling." In the next moment, a large number of profound and mysterious insights suddenly appeared in Gao De's mind.

His connection with Yogathhira allowed him to experience the same sensory sensations as Yogathhira at this moment.

Gaode is like an ancient tree, growing continuously through the passage of time.

In a hazy, dreamlike state, Gaode became completely lost in this feeling of growth, standing motionless in a meditative state.

It absorbs sunlight and nutrients, then grows, grows, and grows again.

When Gao De came to his senses, half an hour had already passed.

Sunafa breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief when she saw him open his eyes.

Gao De's eyes were shining brightly as he looked at his hands, his face full of joy and satisfaction.

Only after acquiring the sacred object did his practice of the "Green Wood Longevity Scripture" truly get on the right track.

After the "Azure Wood Longevity Scripture" enters the right track, as the mage's level increases, the "Azure Wood Longevity Scripture" will gradually grant the practitioner abilities such as "Immortal Body", "Earth Walker", "Natural Recovery", "Natural Language", and "Natural Protection".

As a first-level mage, the "Azure Wood Longevity Scripture" had just granted him a powerful ability:

The art of nature.

The name naturally came to mind, and the ability was mastered by Gao De without warning. The whole process was somewhat similar to the awakening of the Iceborn's bloodline to obtain magic.

The so-called "natural art" can be explained in the simplest terms as pulling up seedlings to help them grow.

Gaode can accelerate the growth rate of catalyzed plants by consuming mana.

The higher the level of the plant, the more mana it requires to catalyze its growth.

At his current mage level, this "Nature Spell" is only applicable to ordinary plants that are not magical plants. Otherwise, even if he were drained dry, it would not bring much growth benefit to magical plants.

It seems to have many limitations, but for now it is actually sufficient and can support a certain idea in Gaode's mind.

Moreover, the "Nature Arts" are growth-oriented. As his mage level continues to increase, he will eventually be able to catalyze even high-level magical plants.

"Once the land transformed by Yugathishira is developed, we can plant other tree species to accelerate the growth of Yugathishira," said God, looking at the still-sapling Yugathishira and Flora.

Yugathira also has a special ability: the more trees around it, the faster it grows.

After forming a bond with Yggdrasil, God's understanding of this special ability deepened.

Not only should there be many trees, but there should also be many different kinds.

It's a bit complicated to explain, but it's roughly like drug resistance. To give a simple example: a new tree species can give Yugathishira a total growth bonus of 10, so when you plant the first one, you get a growth bonus of 5.

The remaining 5 growth points may require planting hundreds more of the same tree species to obtain.

In addition, the higher the grade of the tree species, the greater the growth bonus it can bring to Yugathishira.

For example, a Tier 1 magical tree species provides a growth bonus of 10 points, while a Tier 2 magical tree species might provide a growth bonus of 50 points.

Therefore, slowly waiting for Yugathira to grow naturally is definitely the worst option.

We must give full play to our initiative, constantly seek out new tree species, and continue to plant trees and create forests.

Before entering the North, God had already been entrusted by Flora to search for tree species in Ellaheim.

Unfortunately, Ellaheim is located at the foot of the Irwinjaya Mountains, in a snowy region where trees are scarce.

Even though Gaode offered a reward to local hunters for their help, they only managed to collect seeds of about ten different types of trees.

Moreover, they are all pine, fir, and birch species.

We must build a port, construct ships, and collect tree species through trade to transform Vallar Bay into a forest of ten thousand trees.

What snowfield guardian? I've directly transformed into the world guardian! Thinking of this, Gao De couldn't help but give himself a mental pat on the back.

"Plant other tree species~~" Flora looked at God with sparkling eyes.

"That's right!" Gao De tried to make the pie look even more delicious.

Flora ate the biscuit very seriously, her eyes brightening even more.

"Yogathhira still needs some time to grow before it can have basic self-defense capabilities. We'll need your help to look after it during this time," God and Sunefa said.

This was the problem he was most worried about during the tree planting process, because he was all alone, and if he encountered some unexpected situation, such as a herd of beasts, it would be hard to guarantee that he could protect the newborn Yugathira.

But now, that's no longer a problem.

Behind him now stood the most powerful tribe in the entire North.

Sunafa nodded slightly, then turned and instructed, "Elder Gain, you will stay here with them for the time being to protect the Sacred Tree. You must not allow anything to happen to the Sacred Tree. I will have someone send you the supplies you need later."

Upon hearing this, Elder Gain immediately stood up straight with his legs together, pounding his chest with his hands as if to demonstrate his resolve and loyalty to God and Sunefah.

He assured them in a powerful voice, "My King, Mother of War, rest assured! We will certainly fulfill our mission and protect the Sacred Tree! Unless we are all wiped out, we will never allow the Sacred Tree to suffer even the slightest mishap."

As Elder Gain finished speaking, the hundred or so Iceborn behind him all made the same gesture: their right hands pressed tightly against their chests, their faces filled with determination, as they expressed their stance to God.

Phoenix.

After returning from Vallar Bay, Gaode spent the entire night at home carefully considering his next steps.

As for Yugathira, we still need to wait some time for Yugathira's roots to continue extending and expanding its domain.

Otherwise, given the soil quality of the permafrost tundra in the North, no tree species could sprout.

He naturally didn't want to be idle during this waiting time.

Besides using this fourth-tier spiritual land for cultivation and mastering the first-round spells brought back from the Snowfield Guardians as soon as possible, we also need to start working on solving the food problem.

These are the three highest priority things right now, and there is no conflict between them.

After making the decision, Gaode still had one more thing to do.

Gao De gently pushed open the half-closed door and walked steadily into the room where Catherine was temporarily under house arrest.

A gentle smile graced his face, as if he were visiting a long-lost friend: "Your Holiness, it's been a long time since I've come to see you."

Catherine was sitting quietly on a stone chair by the table, her face hidden behind a mask, with only her eyes showing.

When those eyes glanced at Gao De, they revealed an indescribable, complex emotion: "I never imagined that the Snowfield Guardians, who have been passed down for so long, would perish at your hands."

Her voice was calm and low.

After returning from the Ice Temple, God did not imprison the Ice Temple mages who had submitted to him, but he restricted their activities, putting them under house arrest.

As for Loich, he was sent back the way he came and continued to be "locked up" with Catherine.

So from Loych's words, she already knew that the Snowfield Guardians no longer existed and had been incorporated into the Zhenbing Tribe.

Although her feelings toward Gaode were complex at this moment, there was no resentment, especially when she said those words, she was more filled with emotion.

Gao De noticed Catherine's emotions and was slightly surprised. "You don't hate me?"

"Ryan, as the Holy Inquisitor of the sect, led his subordinates to practice forbidden necromancy and went against the doctrine, slaughtering the northern tribes. From this point on, the Snowfield Guardians were already dead in name only."

"What you've done has only accelerated this process."

She paused for a moment before speaking earnestly, "In fact, you even saved the Snowfield Guardians. If it weren't for your intervention, the Snowfield Guardians, who once took protecting the Snowfield as their doctrine, would probably have become a great scourge to the Snowfield under Ryan's leadership."

"Rather than watching a sect degenerate into an evil organization, it's better to just turn to dust," Catherine said slowly.

"Your Excellency truly knows right from wrong." Gao De couldn't help but look at Catherine with new eyes. This seemed like a very simple truth, but understanding and accepting it was not an easy thing.

"I dare not accept such praise," Catherine said with a bitter smile. "If I truly knew right from wrong, I shouldn't have repaid kindness with enmity by confining you to Phoenix. So, the bitter consequence of my house arrest today is the result of the evil I sowed back then. It's my own fault."

"As for Your Excellency, the Snowfield Guardian is no longer here, so what kind of Saintess am I?"

After saying this, Catherine hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out and gently removed the bronze mask from her face.

This was the first time Gao De saw Catherine's face.

What came into view was an extremely handsome face.

With distinct lines, three-dimensional features, and a resolute look between his brows.

Her skin wasn't nearly as fair and delicate as Sunefa's, but it radiated a healthy glow.

Undoubtedly, Catherine's face behind the mask is not ugly, but it's not far inferior to Sunefa's. After all, women as beautiful as Sunefa are rare, and she's still a long way from the beauty that Gaode imagined.

According to the plots of TV dramas and novels from my previous life, don't these women who wear masks usually have an absolutely stunning face hidden beneath the mask?

Is the gap between reality and fiction really that big?

Amidst a flurry of thoughts racing through his mind, Gao De couldn't help but ask, "Why do you, as a saintess, need to wear a mask? I don't think anyone else among the Snowfield Guardians has this habit except you."

Catherine thought for a moment, then finally spoke, "Because I look so much like my mother, you could even say we were cut from the same mold. To avoid gossip, therefore..."

Who is your mother?

"Lucy Hernandez, the former Archbishop of the Snowfield Guardians," Catherine said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Gao De was shocked and immediately understood everything.

As the former Archbishop of the Snowfield Guardians, Lucy Hernandez was the sole leader of the entire Snowfield Guardians during her tenure, rather than the later tripartite power structure.

With such a mother, and Catherine looking just like her, coupled with her status as a saint, it was inevitable that there would be some rumors and gossip, attracting countless eyes and discussions.

In such circumstances, wearing a mask all day to hide one's appearance is actually a helpless yet wise choice.

"My lord, you must have come to see me today for something else, right?" Catherine asked again.

Gao De smiled and stopped the small talk, getting straight to the point: "Although the mages of your Icefield Temple took immediate action to capture those subordinates who followed Ryan in practicing forbidden necromancy, some of them reacted very quickly and escaped first."

"They practice forbidden necromancy. If we don't track them down and capture them soon, it could cause a lot of bloodshed and harm the people of the North."

Upon hearing this, Catherine's expression also became serious, and she nodded in agreement.

"You guys are the experts when it comes to tracking," Gao De had already experienced this firsthand, having been relentlessly pursued by Catherine and Loich across the vast snowfields. "And you are a hunter by training, with plenty of experience, so I'd like to entrust this task of tracking down the culprit to you."

"Consider this a chance for you to redeem yourself. After all, this is a problem left over from your Snowfield Guardians, and it's appropriate for you to resolve it."

"You can take half of the Icefield Temple mages with you on this mission," Godd paused, then continued.

As for the remaining half of the Icefield Temple mages, they were kept in Phoenix as "hostages." He didn't say it explicitly, but Catherine is a smart person and must understand what he meant.

Gaode is a good person, but he's never a pushover; he has his own considerations.

"Once you complete the task of hunting down the murderer, I will set you all free," he concluded, giving his final condition.

"Think about it."

"No need to think about it, I accept." However, before Gao De could finish speaking, Catherine's voice rang out.

He looked at Catherine.

The other person's eyes were filled with determination and hatred.

The destruction of the Snowfield Guardians, while directly caused by Gao De, was rooted in the cultists who practiced forbidden necromancy.

Catherine harbored a great deal of negative emotions towards them.

At this moment, how could she not be willing to personally "enforce the law" and at the same time save her companions who were under house arrest?

"Now you're free." Gao De clapped his hands, and the half-closed door was opened.

"Thank you," Catherine said with utmost sincerity, bowing to God. "My lord."

Catherine, along with Loich and a carefully selected group of skilled fighters, set off in a flurry of activity.

Gao De watched them leave, then stopped thinking about it and headed to his next destination.

The plains at the foot of the Weskar Mountains.

Elder Grant had already received the news and was waiting here in advance.

"My King." Upon seeing Gao De arrive, he quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.

Gao De waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to be polite, and then looked around at the plain in front of him.

The most distinctive feature of the North is its vast territory and sparse population.

Of course, for the people of the North, no matter how vast the land was, it was useless, because it was all unusable land that could not grow any plants.

But this is not the case for Gaode Maps.

Looking at the vast, flat snowfield before him, and the black soil hidden beneath the snow, a certain bloodline within him seemed to be awakened all at once.

"What a waste!"

Such good terrain is perfect for farming.

In the North, such plains are actually everywhere.

Before he arrived, he couldn't care less about the Northerners wasting resources like this.

But now that he's here, everything must change starting today.

Gao De arrived on the plain, found the most pleasing spot, and gently called out to Flora on his shoulder.

"Lady Flora."

"Okay~"

The next moment, a black barley seed appeared in Flora's small hand.

(End of this chapter)