Reborn as a lotus, she initially refuses to hand it over to the state.

One of the awakened beings angrily retorted, "What right do you have to interfere?"

Chen Mo looked at the Ginkgo tree and said, "We don't care about you, but this is its shade. If it doesn't want you to come in, then you can't come in."

Dozens of Qinglian Society members behind him raised their hands at the same time, and green leaf marks lit up in their palms.

They channeled their psionic energy into the ground.

hum!

A pale blue light pierced through the street, connecting with the roots of the learning ginkgo tree.

"The Covenant of All Spirits." Chen Mo's voice was deep: "Today, the Azure Lotus Society bears witness with spiritual energy that it is I who will protect this tree, and all living beings who are willing to protect all living beings."

The roots of the ginkgo tree trembled, and a few specks of green light shone from among the branches and leaves that had been eroded by the gray-black mist on the tree crown.

What it sensed was no longer just fear, murderous intent, and defensiveness, but also that someone was willing to stand by its side.

Within the tree's core space, the gray-robed figure trembled violently. It stared at the gradually disintegrating threads, its voice sharp for the first time.

"Foolish! Can you protect a single tree, or all living beings under heaven?"

Lin Qingxue raised her head, the blue lotus mark on her chest echoing the blue leaf mark outside: "We can't protect everyone, but if we can protect one, then we have one more."

"I believe that one day, you things that hide in the darkness will have nowhere to hide."

boom!

A spiritual light emanated from the blue lotus and soared into the sky.

Countless gray-black vines crumbled inch by inch, and the Life Sacrifice Nail trembled violently.

The next moment, it suddenly burst out with an even stronger black light.

The entire ginkgo forest began to collapse, and Lin Qingxue's expression changed: "It's going to destroy the heartwood!"

Chen Xueli raised the crimson token: "Step back!"

Just as she was about to forcefully shatter the sacrificial nails with her token, a thick ancestral root lit up in the deepest part of the ginkgo forest. That ancestral root ran through the entire ginkgo forest.

Countless blurry images emerge from the roots: children reading under the tree, people placing their exam admission tickets in front of the roots, praying for good grades.

Some people returned to the school after graduation, hugged the tree trunk to say goodbye, and others, feeling wronged, hid in the shade of the tree and cried quietly.

That is the power accumulated by the Ginkgo tree over the past century, and its deepest obsession.

Lin Qingxue's eyes reddened slightly: "Grandpa Ginkgo, no."

The ginkgo tree seemed to convey a message: "The children must go out into the world; the tree cannot confine them."

The ancestral root rose up, but instead of attacking the sacrificial nail, it crashed heavily into its own heartwood.

Click!

A crisp snapping sound echoed through the ginkgo forest.

The ancestral root broke off, and a sky full of blue-gold spiritual light shot up into the sky, while the fragrance of the ginkgo tree quickly fell down.

Mid-stage of the fifth rank, early stage of the fifth rank, peak of the fourth rank, after the Life Sacrifice Nail lost its support, the first crack appeared on its surface.

The gray-robed figure let out a piercing roar: "No!"

In reality, Xuanku clasped his hands together and chanted: "Visualize the Great Sun, Purify the Lotus and Burn Away Illusions!"

Boom! The cinnabar between the brows of all the disciples of Jinglian Temple simultaneously ignited with pale golden flames, and the Buddhist light condensed into a huge golden lotus flower.

The lotus flowers fell, completely enveloping the Ginkgo Tree where Chen Wuji sought knowledge. Chen Wuji then lifted the River-Suppressing Stele: "Suppress the Earth's Veins!"

Han Lie unleashed the Crimson Flame Seal in his hand: "Disaster Sealing Net!"

Lu Cang's silver spear pierced the ground: "Severed Nail Vein!"

Chen Xueli's crimson token slammed down: "Seal!"

The light of the blue lotus in Lin Qingxue's palm fell heavily on the Life Sacrifice Nail.

Du Feng and the Night Watch team held the outer perimeter of the tree core tightly, while Chen Mo and the members of the Green Lotus Society continued to send spiritual energy into the ley lines.

At this moment, in the ninth round, the forces of the Qinglian Society and the Jinglian Academy all focused on Wenxue Yinxing.

boom!

The sacrificial nail finally shattered.

The gray-robed figure transformed into a gray-black aura, attempting to escape along the earth's veins, but it suddenly burst forth from the ground through the last root of the Ginkgo tree.

The roots tightly bound the gray-black aura, and the Buddhist beads flew out from Xuan Ku's palm.

The Buddha's light descended.

The dark gray aura completely dissipated in the pure lotus light.

The entire Linjiang No.1 Middle School.

Finally, it quieted down.

The sky gradually brightened.

The ground was covered with withered yellow ginkgo leaves, which drifted slowly in the morning breeze.

The ginkgo tree, still standing in the center of the playground, is a symbol of learning.

However, most of the once towering canopy of trees has withered away.

The lapis lazuli veins on the tree trunk also appeared dull.

Lin Qingxue stepped back from the tree heart, her body swaying slightly. Chen Xueli quickly steadied her, saying, "Qingxue."

Lin Qingxue looked at the ginkgo tree and said softly, "It didn't die, it just lost its ancestral root and fell to the fourth level."

Chen Xueli was silent for a moment. She looked up at the ginkgo tree covered in scars. If it hadn't broken its roots in the end...

Chaos is sure to break out in the old town of Linjiang City tonight.

Su Wan walked to the tree and took out her communicator: "The crisis at Linjiang No. 1 Middle School has been resolved. The Ginkgo tree, which was studying, has severed its ancestral roots and suppressed the pollution of the earth's veins."

"The Level 6 complex disaster has been eliminated, with no casualties."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communicator, followed by Zhou Zhenshan's voice: "Record the merits of learning from Ginkgo, Ninth Bureau of Linjiang City, establish a special regulation for the protection of spiritual plants."

Su Wan put away her communicator and looked at Chen Mo: "The Qinglian Society has trespassed into the restricted area. According to the rules, they should be dealt with."

Chen Mo said, "Then we will deal with it, but the Qinglian Society will not agree to anyone taking this tree away under the pretext of dealing with the Qinglian Society."

Su Wan said, "The Ninth Bureau will not take it away. It saved Linjiang twice, so it should stay here. The Ninth Bureau will set up a monitoring array."

"If it shows signs of getting out of control again, the Night Watch will intervene."

Chen Mo nodded: "I can accept that statement."

Xuan Ku walked up to the ginkgo tree.

He took out a light blue stone tablet from his sleeve.

The stone tablet was not large, but it carried a gentle and spiritual aura.

He erected the stone tablet outside the school.

Two lines of ancient characters slowly emerged on the stone tablet.

Those who enter the shade of this tree, whether human, animal, or plant, are not exempt.

First ask about good and evil, then discuss life and death.

Su Wan looked at the stone tablet: "Master Xuanku, this is a school."

Xuanku clasped his hands together and said, "This humble monk knows, which is why the stone tablet was erected outside the school, and Jinglian Temple will set up the Questioning Hall here."

"If the Qinglian Society wants to protect the tree, they may do so, but no one should interfere with the students' studies."

Chen Mo glanced at him: "Baldy, you sure know how to pick a spot."

Xuan Ku said calmly, "Under the tree, it is the most suitable place to examine one's own heart."

Chen Mo took the ginkgo leaf out of his pocket.

Gently place it in front of the stone tablet.

A member of the Qinglian Society stepped forward: "Brother Chen, the ginkgo tree has fallen to the fourth level. Will it still be able to protect this place in the future?"

Chen Mo looked at the tree trunk, where a new, tender branch was sprouting.

The tip of a young branch.

A tiny ginkgo leaf sways gently in the morning breeze.

Chen Mo smiled: "Yes, it can. Before, it would only leave people under the tree, but now it knows how to guard them."

Heilong Lake.

Chu Zhou withdrew his divine consciousness from Linjiang City.

Within the Lotus Domain of Shiye Town.

The once turbulent riverside landscape gradually returned to calm.

Although the Ginkgo tree has fallen to the fourth level, the questioning and learning process continues.

Within the tree's heart, however, a pure and unwavering will to protect it arose.

[Ding! The guardian spirit plant has completed its self-transformation.]

[Learning from Ginkgo's Understanding Ability: Protection within the Tree Realm.]

[Tree Boundary Shelter: After deploying the tree boundary, it can shelter juveniles, students, and lower-level creatures within its range.]

[Humans, Spirit Plants, and Believers of All Spirits have been detected jointly defending the city.]

[A new Wanling Shelter node has been added in Linjiang City.]

The coverage area of ​​the Myriad Lotus Realm has been increased.

The lotus leaves on the Chu boat swayed gently.

In the ancient underground city.

Looking at the scene in the water mirror, the strange stone remained silent for a long time: "This tree understands the meaning of protection better than many humans who have lived for hundreds of years."

Chu Zhou's roots settled on the lotus platform of the town: "It will continue to grow."

Strange Stone snorted softly: "The two guys you left in the human city have grown up a bit too."

Chu Zhou laughed and said, "Chen Mo and Xuan Ku, what you are protecting for me tonight is not just a tree, but the path for all living beings to survive in the city in the future."

The strange rock did not refute, reflected in the water.

Under the ginkgo tree, the stone tablet stands quietly in the morning light.

Deeper into Linjiang City, a blood-stained hand reached out from the underground passage of an abandoned repair shop.

The black-clad leader whose shoulder had been pierced by Chen Mo's vines was not dead.

He dragged his broken body and climbed to a wall covered with pipes.

On the wall hung a blood-stained communication screen.

On the screen, a blurry figure stands silently in the darkness.

The leader in black knelt on the ground: "Mission failed. Wenxue Yinxing is not dead."

On the communication screen, the figure remained silent for a moment before a hoarse voice came through: "It's alright. Linjiang City is just the first city. The Spirit-Enhancing Black Nails have already been sent to other places."

"Let them continue to guard it, and see just how many lives that blue lotus can protect."