I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

The air in the canyon seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Little one?"

Staring wide-eyed, he sized up the three-zhang-tall stone giant, muttering, "Where the hell is this small?"

Life forms above the Mingling Realm can communicate using spiritual thoughts, no longer limited by the language of civilization.

The stone man tilted its head, its dark yellow light flickering in its stone pupils, as if it were seriously considering the question.

"That's what the elders in the clan call me." Its thoughts spread again, carrying a gentleness completely out of character for its size.

"They say the rock core that nurtured me is a size smaller than the seeds of other tribes."

As soon as he finished speaking, the huge stone mouth opened slightly, and a muffled gurgling sound came from deep in its throat.

A piece of ore the size of a fist rolled out of the tiny mouth—its own fist, of course.

The ore hit the ground with a dull thud.

Its surface is a dark iron gray, covered with fine crystalline patterns, which refracts starlight spots in the dim light of the canyon.

"A gift to mark our meeting."

Xiao Xiao nudged the ore towards Xuan with her toes. "Thank you for chasing away those wolf cubs."

Qi stepped forward and took out the linen gloves she always carried from her waist.

This is valuable experience gained from exploring the wilderness; when facing unfamiliar mountains and seas, no amount of caution is excessive.

He could barely lift the ore, which was as big as a millstone, by wrapping his arms around it, and examined it over and over again.

The ore is very heavy, more than twice as heavy as an equivalent volume of iron ore.

Under the illumination of the light, the crystal patterns present a translucent texture, like solidified amber.

"Excellent smelting materials." He looked at Xuan and nodded slightly.

"It has extremely high purity and very few impurities. This crystal structure is even better than the specially selected refined iron we dig out from deep mines."

Xuan didn't refuse or stand on ceremony. He nodded to Yu beside him, indicating that he should put it away.

"I'll accept the things."

"Now, tell me why you've come."

Xuan stared directly into those stone eyes; the moment he saw the boulder, he had already sensed it—

The spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the stone figure's body, which also belonged to the earth's veins.

Its power was so profound that it was in no way inferior to that of a Totem Walker at the peak of the Seeking the Law stage.

Not to mention its mountain-like stone body.

How could a mere group of mindless monsters possibly shake such an existence?

Its small body paused slightly, and the slit that served as its mouth opened and closed a few times.

It raised its hand and scratched the stone head, its stone fingers scraping across the rock surface with a soft rustling sound.

The movements looked simple and honest, even somewhat clumsy.

The dim yellow light calmly looked at Xuan, and the stone man's intent revealed a hint of shyness:

"You pioneers have a really good eye."

"Xiao Xiao wasn't actually trapped by those wolf cubs, but it's true that she's resting here."

"The view here is expansive, allowing you to spot people coming from the mountains in advance."

It paused, and the crack in its mouth slightly widened.

"Let me formally introduce myself—Xiaoxiao belongs to the Spirit Race and is a wandering merchant in this wind-eroded wasteland."

Looking at the seemingly simple and honest stone giant in front of him, Qi couldn't help but sigh:

"In this desolate wilderness, even the rocks have so many tricks up their sleeves."

He chuckled softly, his laughter carrying a crisp, metallic sound like ore colliding.

"Okay, to tell you the truth." Its tone became more relaxed:

"I sense a special aura emanating from you, the aura of a high-purity spiritual crystal."

"That piece of refined iron is a gift to show our sincerity."

Xuan's eyelids twitched slightly, and he silently withdrew his spiritual perception.

The spiritual energy of the stone giant before me was warm and clean, carrying the rhythm of the natural flow of the primal energy of heaven and earth.

Unlike the Devouring Evil Energy of the Forgetful Man, which was deliberately concealed but still unsettling, the Stone Man's aura was even somewhat similar to the spiritual light of humans.

That's why the vanguard didn't launch an attack immediately.

Xuan reached into his robes and rummaged around for a moment.

"Is this what you're talking about?"

Then, he took a leaf from his pocket.

The leaves are withered and yellow, with dull veins, but occasionally a rainbow-like sheen appears on their surface.

The small, dim yellow light suddenly became as bright as a lamp, like two flames that had been lit.

On its stone-carved face, the crack in its mouth involuntarily opened, revealing the smooth rock inside.

"Yes...that's it!" Its thoughts even briefly faltered.

Over the years, the branches of the tree spirit have withered and flourished on the altar, and occasionally leaves will fall naturally.

These leaves, unlike branches, cannot take root and grow, nor do they emit spiritual light, nor do they contain any divine oracle techniques.

It was just a few slightly withered elm leaves, with dull veins and an occasional flash of iridescence on the surface, nothing more.

After retiring as an elder, Xuan spent his life tending the trees and collecting leaves, and over the decades he has accumulated quite a bit.

At this moment, looking at those suddenly blazing stone eyes, the members of the vanguard team were secretly shaken.

The value of this withered leaf in the desolate mountains and seas is probably far beyond what they can estimate.

"By the Tree God."

Everyone silently offered their respects in their hearts.

Unexpectedly, even though they were thousands of miles apart, the tree god still protected His people.

Xuan held the leaf in his palm and looked at Xiao Xiao calmly.

"I need some information," Xuan said calmly, "about... the Land of Wood."

With a small, laborious effort, it shifted its gaze from the fallen leaves of the tree spirit. Instead of answering immediately, it asked a question in return:

"Have you provoked those 'hunting civilizations'?"

"A hunting civilization?" Xuan frowned slightly.

Xiao Xiao sat down cross-legged, and the three-zhang-tall stone body crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust that covered everyone.

"The wilderness is shrouded in mystery, and no one can say for sure how many races and civilizations there are."

"However, as various ethnic groups grew stronger and ventured beyond their ancestral lands, exchanges became more frequent, and a tacit understanding gradually formed between the mountains and seas, dividing civilizations into three types:"

"Civilization of creation, civilization of trade, civilization of hunting and gathering."

It extends three thick, stone-like fingers.

"Creative civilizations are self-sufficient, have complete racial ecology, and possess unique products of civilization. They are the most common and largest type of civilization in the exchanges among mountain and sea ethnic groups."

"Trade civilizations, just like the Eldar like Little." The stone man's mind lightened a bit when he mentioned himself.

"Natural species are born and nurtured by nature, and do not need to eat, drink, or reproduce in the traditional sense."

"We have no resources that we must fight for, nor do we have a fixed territory to take root in, and we have no inherent conflict of interest with any civilization."

"So I'm the best merchant in this wasteland. If you want to trade, go to Little One, he's the most reliable..."

Seeing that the topic had gone astray, the fire in the stone man's eyes flickered, and his voice became low.

"As for the nomadic civilization..."

"That's the most notorious tribe in the mountains and seas!"