I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, a short queue had already formed outside the South Gate.

A slow-moving cart pulled into the city gate, its wheels rumbling over the gravel road.

Most of the paint on the sideboards had peeled off, revealing grayish-white wood stubble, with a few dry grass leaves stuck in the gaps—this vehicle had traveled quite a distance.

The driver was a merchant from the southern Xinjiang province, and the cargo compartment was piled with several earthenware jars and bundles of herbs.

In a corner, a figure wrapped in a dark gray hooded cloak sat curled up.

The man was not tall, about half a head shorter than an average man, and he looked even less noticeable when he was tucked into his cloak.

The cloak covered his entire body completely, and even his hands were covered with rough linen gloves. He was holding a ceramic flowerpot in his arms.

The vendor glanced back at the cargo box, his voice trembling with sleepiness:

"Guest, we've arrived at the capital. Where would you like to get off?"

"Right here."

The voice came from under the hood, the pronunciation was awkward and had a strange quality.

The vendors drove off in their carts, the sound of the wheels gradually fading into the morning mist.

The man stood at the street corner, his hood slightly raised, as if surveying this bustling city.

The main street is already bustling with activity.

Farmers carrying vegetable baskets filed in from the south gate, while hunters with animal hides and bone ornaments came from the north...

Several children chased each other out of the alley, nearly bumping into the man's leg, before running away laughing and joking.

The man lowered his head and glanced at the flowerpot in his arms.

The soil lay quietly in the pot, without making a sound.

It remained undisturbed.

"Such a strong spiritual energy." The voice was very soft, as if talking to oneself.

The man strode along the main street into the depths of the royal city, his footsteps barely making a sound on the ground.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow in from the side, causing the cloak to cling to the person's body, revealing the outline of their torso—

It doesn't resemble a human figure; it looks more like a crooked tree trunk.

……

Qi stood inside the city gate, conducting his routine patrol.

Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye.

Just then, a figure wrapped in a dark gray cloak walked along the main street at a leisurely pace, carrying a ceramic basin in his arms.

It doesn't look particularly special—merchants from the Southern Xinjiang province like to wear these cloaks, saying they're for wind and sun protection.

But when Qi's gaze fell on that person, her heart skipped a beat for no reason.

"Let's go take a look."

Qi stepped forward to meet them, with the guards following behind, their scabbards lightly tapping against their legs with each step.

The two met at the street corner.

Qi raised his hand to signal the other person to stop, his gaze sweeping across the edge of the hood, but he only saw a shadow.

"Open your hood and submit to inspection." The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

He fought his way from the northern border to the royal capital, encountering far too many malevolent demon races along the way—

Those beasts are best at disguising themselves as ordinary people, sneaking into towns, and waiting for an opportunity to commit evil.

"take it easy."

"I meant no harm."

The man finally moved, raising his right hand, gloved with linen, and slowly lifting his hood.

The morning sun shone obliquely on his face, casting a shadow on his face.

The skin was wooden, and the facial features were human-shaped, but every part of it exuded stiffness.

His eyes were sunken, his nose was stiff, and the gap between his lips was crooked, with the left side higher than the right, as if they hadn't been aligned properly when they were sewn together.

A tree-man.

Tree-people with hands and feet, capable of walking and talking—but they look like they were pieced together from a pile of dead wood.

Qi's fingers tightened on the hilt of the knife for a moment, and the guards behind him also gripped their weapons.

They stared at the tree-like face, their eyes filled with wariness.

This was the first time they had ever seen a plant that could walk, but their first impression was not good.

"Honorable guards."

My name is Wangyoulang.

The tree-man nodded slightly, placing the paper strip that served as his arm against his chest in a gesture of respect, though the movement was stiff as if his joints were lacking lubrication.

"Coming from the distant Land of Trees, I travel far and wide, gathering herbs and plants."

"I am just passing through your area and have no ill intentions."

Qi stared at it for several breaths, his spiritual light flowing in his pupils as he probed every fluctuation of the tree-man's aura.

There was no foul odor, no bloody smell...

At least from what is visible, the power flowing through this tree-man is relatively gentle and harmless.

However, its texture is completely different from Xia's spiritual energy—it is sparser and thinner, like a stagnant pool of water.

Qi remained silent for a moment, then stepped aside to make way.

"This is a restricted area of ​​the capital; please do not wander around unnecessarily. I will report to the Grand Commander, and he will make the decision."

"When in Rome, do as the host does; that's only natural."

Tree Man pulled his hood back up, held the flowerpot, and followed behind Qi.

Along the way, it would occasionally turn its head to look at the shops and pedestrians on both sides of the street.

Occasionally, a flash of inspiration will appear on a totem pole or a passerby, and its gaze will follow it, lingering for a moment.

"The spiritual energy here is so abundant." The voice came from under the hood, carrying an indescribable sigh.

"The closer you get to the royal city, the stronger the spiritual energy of the earth's veins becomes."

"Your country's network of spiritual sites is truly enviable!"

Qi didn't reply, but quickened her pace.

The tree-man didn't seem to care and continued talking to himself:

"From the distant borderlands to the capital, I have often heard a prayer—"

"By the Tree God."

"Is your country's totem a tree?"

Its tone paused subtly, like the sound of a withered branch snapping in the wind.

Qi turned her head and gave it a sharp look.

The tree-man raised his gloved hand and made an apologetic gesture.

"Excuse me, I was just curious."

"The beliefs of any ethnic group deserve respect, and I mean no offense."

Qi withdrew her gaze and said nothing more.

……

In the northeast corner of the royal city, a solitary stone house stands deep in a secluded alley.

Yu sat in the center of the stone house with his eyes closed.

The spiritual energy surged within his body, like an angry dragon chained by iron chains, rampaging through his meridians, yet unable to break through the final barrier.

His consciousness sank into his dantian, repeatedly activating the spiritual energy he had practiced countless times.

Iron chain force, swift wind force, drilling force... he mastered every kind of force with ease, as naturally as eating and drinking.

Having received guidance from renowned teachers since childhood, he clearly understood the method of using spiritual energy techniques to transform spiritual energy into a rainbow.

"puff--"

The spiritual energy exploded outwards, Yu's body jolted violently, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

That pass remained completely still.

It failed again.

Yu opened his eyes, his pupils bloodshot.

His early cultivation was too focused on achieving results, which resulted in his spiritual foundation being somewhat shallow.

It was just a tiny bit short, but at this moment it became the shackles that trapped him.

Yu walked to the wall and reached out to touch the cold stone wall.

Then, he punched him.

The dull thud echoed through the stone house, a few specks of debris splashed onto the stone wall, and blood seeped from the knuckles.

He didn't stop, another punch, and then another.

The fist slammed against the stone wall, producing a dull thud, like the beating of a drum.

"Damn it... why just won't it work!"

He was the son of Qi, and the only son of the Grand Commander of the Xia Kingdom.

He possesses the best teachers, the best blood food, and the best cultivation resources in the entire Xia Kingdom.

But he just can't even cross the threshold of the Heavenly Light stage.

And that farmer's son who came from the frozen north...

Yu stood in the center of the stone house, veins bulging on his forehead, like a caged beast.

"As long as I break through."

His voice gradually lowered, carrying a chilling, almost manic obsession.

"As long as I can surpass that peasant..."

"At any cost... we'll pay!"