I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

The wind and sand howled across the wasteland, like a giant beast that could never be satiated.

Xuan held the map and carefully compared the directions.

On the map, this gray-white wasteland is called the "Wind-Eroded Wasteland".

Beside an ancient riverbed in the northwest, a ship symbol is marked in bold, which is said to be a remote hub that has gradually emerged in recent decades.

This remote inn welcomes guests with open arms, day and night.

Pioneers, merchants, refugees... all sorts of news converged here, a mixed bag, yet all-encompassing.

Qi leaned closer to look at the map, somewhat curious: "Why is the hostel... marked with a ship symbol?"

The next moment, everyone's eyes turned to the northwest, and they were stunned.

A huge outline slowly emerged from the dawn.

It really is a ship.

A magnificent ancient ship, half-buried by sandstorms.

The ship was tilted to one side, its massive, dark wooden hull protruding obliquely from the gravel, its bow raised high, carved with an indescribable head.

The head's features were blurred by the wind and sand, but one could still discern a ferocious appearance with its fangs bared.

It resembles a giant beast that has poked its head out of the sand sea while its body remains buried underground.

A wild and tenacious life force, growing out of the barren land, is particularly eye-catching in this wasteland.

Upon closer inspection, the vanguard team was able to see the ship in its entirety.

Although the wooden planks on the sides of the hull were pitted and eroded by wind and sand, they were still thick and heavy, and the joints were tightly bound with iron hoops and thick rattan.

A huge doorway was carved out in the middle of the ship, with animal skin curtains hanging on both sides. The edges of the curtains were worn and frayed, and figures would occasionally lift the curtains to enter or leave.

Clearly, the cabin of this ancient ship served as the reception hall of the inn.

Above the doorway, where a signboard should have been hung, a huge wooden plaque was instead embedded.

The text above was obscured by sand and was not clearly visible.

But that doesn't really matter; the withered tree patterns carved at the entrance are the identifiers that distinguish different ethnic groups.

"Let's go."

Xuan led the group to settle their mounts before stepping inside.

The animal-hide curtain fell behind the group, keeping out the wind, sand, and morning light.

The interior of the ship's cabin looked much more spacious than the outside, with a few tables of alien races scattered around the hall.

Several grayish-white hairy dwarfs sat together, with a few pieces of ore spread out in front of them, talking in hushed tones.

In the corner, a tall figure covered in scales curled up, closing his eyes to rest.

They sensed someone coming in, glanced at them, and then looked away.

All parties tacitly maintained their distance.

A figure emerged from the depths of the hall to greet them.

The figure was about seven feet tall, with long limbs and a build similar to that of the Xia people.

However, its skin has an unhealthy grayish-white color, like wood that has been soaked in water, and its surface is covered with fine cracks.

His head was bald, but his facial features were distinct, and his dark red pupils looked like two burnt coals.

It walked up to Xuan and nodded slightly.

"Guests who have come from afar." The voice had a metallic quality, but the tone was still relatively calm.

"Wilderness Inn only provides accommodation, not meals."

"A lounge, a piece of iron ore for one night, or other equivalent resources."

After witnessing firsthand the plant species at the next table savoring the soil, everyone deeply agreed with the idea of ​​bringing their own food.

Seeing that they had no objections, the waiter continued:

"Furthermore, combat is prohibited within the inn."

"Those who disobey will be attacked by the masses."

Xuan nodded.

He understands the rules.

He took a fallen leaf from the tree spirit from his bosom and held it in his palm.

"How long will this be enough for you to stay?"

The withered yellow leaves were inconspicuous in the dim light, with dim veins and slightly curled edges.

But the moment it appeared, the waiter's dark red pupils suddenly twitched.

The waiter extended his hand, his movements still steady, but his fingertips paused slightly for a moment when he took the leaf.

It held the fallen leaf up to its eyes, its dark red pupils tracing the veins as if confirming something.

The silence lasted for a few breaths.

"This leaf..." The waiter's voice was still hoarse, but a few decibels lower than before, "allows you to stay for ten days."

Ten days.

A single leaf fallen from a tree spirit is worth ten pieces of iron ore.

A seemingly honest and tall figure inexplicably appeared in everyone's minds... Shan Hai was indeed not benevolent.

The waiter carefully put the leaves away and then turned to lead the way.

The corridors inside the ancient ship are narrow and winding, and the bulkheads on both sides are divided into rooms of different sizes.

The humans were taken to the largest compartment deep inside the ship, which was about six or seven zhang square, with the floor covered with thick animal hides and dry grass.

The vanguard team consisted of twenty-one people, and although it wasn't spacious, there was enough room to lie down.

"This is it."

After the waiter finished speaking, he turned and left, his footsteps gradually fading away in the corridor.

Night fell quickly.

The team members took turns on duty, while the rest of them lay on the ground wrapped in animal skins and slept peacefully.

Countless life-and-death experiences have long since transformed these former sinners into true wilderness travelers.

Sleep when you should sleep, wake up when you should wake up, and never waste your energy on unnecessary tension.

Yu leaned against the corner, closing his eyes to rest, but his fingers remained on the hilt of the knife.

In the early hours of the morning, a very faint, almost imperceptible rustling sound came from the corridor.

His eyes snapped open, his pupils showing no trace of sleepiness.

A dark green shadow silently slid in through the crack in the door.

It wasn't a physical entity, but rather a condensed, semi-transparent mist, creeping along the ground and slowly spreading deeper into the room.

Yu suddenly sprang up, his short sword flashing coldly in the dim light.

"boom--"

The back of the knife struck the ground with a dull thud.

The green mist exploded instantly, turning into wisps of smoke that spread outwards.

But the others in the room were already awake.

Qi's radiant light dispelled the darkness.

He strode forward, and his spiritual light condensed into an invisible hand, tightly gripping a wisp of light within it.

The green mist twisted violently a few times, making a faint creaking sound like a withered branch breaking.

The wisps of hair began to condense, gathering from the void to take shape.

First, there was a hand, a withered, grayish-green hand.

Next came the arms, shoulders, torso...

A moment later, a figure fell out of the mist and landed on the ground.

The crowd lit a brazier, and the dim firelight illuminated the figure—

Plant family.

Its body only reaches the waist of humans, and its whole body is covered with gray-green skin that resembles tree bark. Its limbs are slender and branch out like roots.

The skull is an inverted triangle, with a raised beak-like structure in the center of the face and a deep-set eye without eyelids on each side.

Those eyes were now scanning the humans surrounding it with terror, and it was making muffled, rapid noises from its beak.

Xuan, Meng, and Feng remained seated cross-legged on the animal skin without making a move.

Qi crouched down, pressing the iron knife in his hand against the neck of the Grass and Wood Clan member.

With a slight downward press of the blade, a shallow cut was made in the grayish-green bark, from which a drop of dark green sap seeped out.

"Why?" The spiritual thought pierced through consciousness and demanded sharply.

The plant creature trembled, its beak opening and closing a few times, the indistinct syllables filled with fear:

"Stay...accommodation...money..."