I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

Hong suddenly raised his head.

The morning light was spreading across the eastern mountain ridge, and golden rays pierced through the thin mist, illuminating the towering tree that blocked out the sky.

Yu Su's trunk gleamed with a warm luster in the light, and the strange patterns on the bark seemed to come alive, slowly flowing with some indescribable rhythm.

Hong's lips trembled, and his eyes immediately reddened.

"Tree God...you're awake?!"

His hair was completely white, and the wrinkles on his face were as deep as if carved by a knife. His once robust body was now hunched over by the weight of time.

But the moment his eyes looked at Yu Su, they shone like two stars.

From a wandering savage to the thriving Xia clan today, Hong's faith has never wavered; on the contrary, it has become more steadfast and devout with the passage of time.

This is why, when sacrifices and prayers could no longer communicate with the tree spirit...

This seasoned leader wavered.

Hong kept the news of Yu Su's slumber a secret, and alone, carrying the hopes of his people, he propelled the tribe forward.

But as he grew older and his life drew to a close, his fears grew stronger.

It's not that I'm afraid of dying.

What Hong fears is—

What will happen to the Xia family if he dies?

Will this tribe, forged from the blood and flesh of countless people, fall apart after his death?

Will there come a day when the tree spirit awakens, only to find that there is no one under its shade?

This thought, like a venomous snake, gnawed at his heart day and night.

"Silly child."

A sublime voice descended from above.

This time, Hong heard it clearly—it wasn't a thought transmission in his mind, but a real sound that he could hear with his ears, a sound that vibrated in the air.

There was no joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness in that voice, no lofty authority, only a gentle, calm tone that had settled over the long years.

Hong could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.

Looking at the old man sobbing at her feet, Yu Su felt a strange ripple in her heart.

He felt like he had just taken a nap—

Immersed in those profound and extraordinary mysteries, time slips past consciousness like flowing water, passing by without being noticed.

"I didn't realize so much time had passed."

Yu Su lowered her gaze and easily saw through the dying embers of life within this elderly mortal.

"Hong".

Do you know what a "boundary" is?

Yu Su's voice rang out again, calm and gentle.

Hong raised his head, his eyes blurred with tears, and looked at the majestic and towering tree. He shook his head.

"All life has a limit."

"That is a bloodline taboo set up at the very beginning of creation by heaven and earth."

"Therefore, mythology is high above, while mortals kneel in the mud."

Yu Su's voice flowed slowly in the morning light, like a river that nourishes all things.

Hong's pupils contracted slightly, and he felt a pang of sadness.

As a mortal, he knew perfectly well that the hierarchy of bloodlines had from the very beginning kept the human race at the bottom of the mountain and sea.

The Xia clan's desperate struggle was nothing more than a desperate attempt to survive, nothing more...

Sensing Hong's complex thoughts, Yu Su calmly spoke with an undeniable power:

"The boundaries of bloodlines are not insurmountable."

"In the primordial world, various primal energies of heaven and earth are buried. Earth veins, celestial light, divine blood... these energies are scattered in every corner of the mountains and seas."

"By using these powers to modify one's bloodline, one has the opportunity to transcend the mortal realm and pursue the supreme."

Hong's breathing quickened; he vaguely understood what the tree god meant.

Yu Su's voice lowered, carrying a hint of chilling intent:

"In the vast majority of cases, power comes from plunder and devouring."

"Therefore, in the wild mountains and seas, the law of the jungle prevails, and there is no way to avoid it."

This is the law of this world: cruel, naked, and unadorned.

The strong devour the weak, and the weak lick the dust; layer upon layer of oppression weaves a food network constructed from blood and bones.

No one can escape, because everyone is in this web, including Yu Su herself.

Cultivation, growth, and evolution are not choices in the wild world, but necessities for survival.

Yu Su paused for a moment, his roots slowly extending deep underground, spiritual energy flowing silently within his body.

"I've found it, the path that transcends the mundane."

"Forging the extraordinary, reforging life..."

I call it: [Body Casting]

Yu Su's voice echoed softly in the air, yet it was deafening.

Immersed in these years of liberation of life, he condensed his research and practice into a set of methods that can be learned and mastered.

This is a cultivation path that is not yet complete, but has already taken shape.

"Hong, are you willing to embark on this path?"

Yu Su asked gently, like a tree asking a bird if it would like to build its nest on its branches.

Hong did not hesitate for a moment.

He didn't even think about it.

The moment Yu Su's voice fell, his body had already answered him—his forehead slammed heavily against the earth, making a dull thud.

His lips moved, his voice hoarse yet firm, as if squeezed from the depths of his soul.

"By the Tree God."

"I do!"

Yu Su was silent for a moment, then smiled softly.

The air vibrated with spiritual energy, emitting a genuine yet subtle laugh.

The leaf on Hong's chest—the leaf that fell from Yu Su's branch many years ago, the one with the character "Xia" carved on it—suddenly lit up.

Like a lamp that has been lit, it instilled a profound message into Hong's consciousness.

Those were flowing images—the trajectory of spiritual energy flowing through the blood, the way the source of heaven and earth and the fire of life intertwined, how the heart became the source of power, and how the blood was tempered and sublimated.

The images seemed to come alive, unfolding, playing out, and imprinting themselves into the depths of his soul.

Those are the techniques and methods for refining one's bloodline.

Hong had no time to be amazed, or even to understand.

The information was too profound, like a rushing river pouring into a small cup, threatening to burst his consciousness.

Suddenly, a root emerged from the ground and gently touched his brow.

The spiritual energy then flowed into his spiritual aperture.

Hongbo's turbulent sea of ​​consciousness was instantly calmed by that powerful and warm force.

He mustered his strength and used all his energy to gradually gather and guide the spiritual energy, transmitting it to the core of his life.

heart.

"Thump, thump, thump"

Hong heard his own heartbeat, and the faint flame in his heart, once as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, was rekindled.

A mysterious power, along with his blood, was pumped from his heart and surged into his limbs and bones.

Hong felt as if he was running against time—things that had been taken away by the years were gradually returning to his body.

His hair began to turn black from the roots, the wrinkles on his face became shallower and fewer, and his eyes, which had become cloudy with age, became clear again.

Hong has not yet completed his cultivation.

But he's already on his way.

A clear breeze drifted in from afar, gently caressing the valley.

The next instant, a thick and profound spiritual energy rippled from Yu Su's body.

Under Yu Su's control, the gentle, enduring, and vibrant spiritual energy filled the surrounding hundred-foot space in a regular and calm manner.

When the Xia clan members, still asleep, were awakened by this strange noise, they pushed open the door of their huts and witnessed a sight they would never forget—

Their tree spirit is shining.