I am the sacred tree, evergreen for eternity.

The giant fox's fel energy field is still expanding.

The purplish-black mist, like a living thing, poured out continuously from the depths of the cave.

The four beams of light retreated steadily in the face of this evil energy.

Xuan's arms trembled, and the blood seeping from the split wound on his tiger's mouth was evaporated by the spiritual light, turning into a faint blood mist.

The lightning on the fierce iron axe dimmed, and the spiritual energy that once could split mountains and rocks was now like a candle flickering in the wind.

Feng's face was as pale as paper, and the light spiritual light was pressed tightly against his body, making it difficult even to breathe.

The pale golden light on Qi's blade flickered uncertainly, a sign that the spiritual light was about to collapse under overload.

"retreat!"

"Take the troops and retreat!"

With his last breath, Xuan called out to the young travelers, trying to preserve the last spark of hope.

but.

Yu did not move.

The dozen or so sinners behind them also stood still, none of them taking a single step back.

Their spiritual light was faint, and their cultivation was low, but their eyes still shone.

Those eyes that were once arrogant, confused, and weak now burn with the same flame.

Just then—

A faint light suddenly appeared.

It lacks the warmth of spiritual light, and is not as corrosive as turbid air.

It is a pure, extinguished, grayish-white light.

The moment the ghostly light merged into the spiritual field, the bodies of the four seekers of the Dharma trembled violently.

They sensed the source of that power.

If the earth's spiritual energy is the cradle of all things, the first warm current that allows life to sprout from the soil.

This force is the final destination of all things at the end, the soil where life finally rests after completing its long journey.

In an instant, a scene flashed through Xuan's mind—

Deep in the wilderness, a withered, dead tree is rooted in broken bones and mud.

Grayish-white mist billowed from the tree canopy, and countless figures knelt beneath the trees, their foreheads touching the ground, their shadows glowing like stars.

The image lasted only a breath before it vanished.

But Xuan knew that it wasn't an illusion...

A figure emerged from the dim light.

The human was of handsome build, dressed in a short, grayish-white linen outfit, with the cuffs and trouser legs tied tightly with straw rope, looking neat and tidy.

He was wearing a mask.

The mask was gray, without any patterns, with two narrow slits where the eyes should be.

Behind the crevice was a bottomless darkness; you couldn't see the pupils, the eyes, or any emotion.

But the power emanating from him was real.

A faint light emanated from his body, rippling outwards in all directions.

The moment that power touched the four beams of spiritual light, it was like two rivers from the same source flowing into the sea, naturally merging together.

The power of life and death resonates and sublimates at this moment.

The four beams of light, which had been forced back by the evil energy, suddenly blazed brightly, as if they had been injected with new fuel, and the flames soared several feet higher.

The giant fox's body suddenly stiffened.

The three faces of the plant monsters on the tail twisted simultaneously.

Their facial features struggled amidst the slime and fel energy, and for the first time, something akin to fear appeared in their dark yellow pupils.

The mysterious man raised his right hand, his five fingers spread wide.

The profound Daoist essence was nurtured in the spiritual field, initially appearing as a hazy halo.

Then He began to grow, stretching upwards and taking root downwards, gradually revealing its outline and illusory form from the chaos—

It was a tree.

The tree trunk is as black as ink, and the leaves are as white as snow. Every leaf exudes the rhythm of life and death.

The phantom of the divine tree solidified in mid-air, falling with irresistible force towards the struggling evil spirits and monsters.

The three faces of the plant race simultaneously emitted mournful howls, like the cries of countless wronged souls, merging into a sound wave that pierced the eardrums.

The giant fox's body began to swell, and its purplish-black roots pierced through flesh and blood, shooting outwards.

It is making its last struggle.

Indeed, they are as insignificant as weeds.

The black and white shadows of the trees finally pressed down.

At that moment, all the light in the cave went out for a brief instant.

The giant fox's body began to shatter, starting from its head, as if it were being crushed from above by an invisible giant hand.

The three faces of the plant race twisted, deformed, and shattered under the suppression of the tree shadows.

The beak-like mouth opened to its limit but could not make a sound. The consciousness parasitized by the evil energy was crushed, purified, and returned to nothingness inch by inch.

After a few breaths, the cave became completely quiet.

The evil energy dissipated, the spiritual light receded, and not a trace of the giant fox's twisted body remained.

There was one more thing on the ground.

It is about the size of a palm, round, and has a pearly luster on its surface, like some kind of jade, or like solidified moonlight.

The disc lay quietly amidst the broken bones and ashes, untouched by dust or filth.

Xuan stepped forward, bent down, and picked it up.

He took the empty wooden plate from his pocket and inserted it into the indentation, fitting it perfectly.

A flash of light appeared on the compass, and a clear projection of a route emerged.

Extending southwest from the current location, the path crosses barren lands and mountains, eventually leading to a lush, green area.

That place is the ancestral home of the Grass and Tree Clan.

That place is also "its" lair.

Xuan put the compass away and turned around.

At the same moment, everyone's eyes fell on the figure wearing the gray mask.

"Thank you." Xuan's voice was still a little weak from exhaustion.

"The human race will forever remember the life-saving grace."

"You're welcome."

The voice came from behind the mask.

The voice had a clear, youthful quality, like a mountain stream or the first cool breeze of early autumn.

Most importantly, the language of the Xia Kingdom.

The language of humans.

The totem walkers around them simultaneously gripped their knife hilts tightly.

Qi raised his blade an inch, Yu crossed his twin swords in front of his chest, and the dozen or so criminals dispersed into formation.

But Xuan did not move.

Meng and Feng seemed to have thought of something, and they stood there in a daze.

"Who are you?" Xuan asked.

The mysterious man raised his hand, the movement as slow as a ritual.

The hand was fair and translucent, with long, slender fingers and distinct knuckles, and slowly gripped the lower edge of the mask.

Her gray hair hung down, her face was thin, and her features were delicate but bloodless.

His facial features were well-proportioned yet gentle, like a boy who had not yet fully grown up.

What is most striking are his eyes, with pupils that are pure white, carrying a serene tranquility.

Those were eyes that shouldn't exist on a living person's face.

Looking at that delicate, young, lifeless face—

The three older totem walkers straightened their backs at the same time.

Xuan's movements were so violent that he even crushed several bones.

"you……"

"How did I get here?"

The boy's lips curled up slightly, forming a very faint, almost imperceptible smile.

That smile was neither warm nor cold, neither sad nor happy, like a tree growing naturally.

"Yuan Clan, Li."

He bowed slightly, his movements not quite standard, even somewhat stiff.

Yet it carries an ancient sense of ritual belonging to a specific era.

"How are you all doing, my lords of Xia Kingdom?"