Chapter 119 - 104: The Spirit Race’s Jianmu
A little while later, as the sun was about to set.
Looking out from their position, they could see a colossal tree in the distance that blotted out the sun and soared into the heavens. To be more precise, it had surpassed the very concept of a tree. It was less a tree and more an ancient, sprawling mountain range. Its trunk was immeasurably thick, and the tangled, sprawling branches above were a heart-stopping sight.
Lu Changyuan frowned as he gazed at the World Tree, reminded of the mythological Jianmu.
The Spirit Race of the Cultivation Realm sometimes boasted when drunk, claiming their ancestors once lived on a giant tree of incalculable size.
Everyone had always dismissed it as baseless bragging. If such an enormous tree truly existed, how could no one in the Cultivation Realm have ever seen it?
It wasn’t just that no one had seen it; there wasn’t even any news about it.
But now, seeing it with his own eyes, Lu Changyuan knew that the Spirit Race hadn’t been lying after all.
The Nether Monarch saw the tree as well. "That is the World Tree, the place where the Spirit Race lives."
Lu Changyuan thought he detected a hint of disdain in the Nether Monarch’s tone.
"Are you not on good terms with your clan?"
A few days ago, the Nether Monarch had said she was returning to her clan to kill people. In a primitive age like this Ancient Era, all races should have been exceptionally united; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to survive.
Yet the Nether Monarch seemed to have a terrible relationship with her clan.
"You could say we’re not on good terms. It’s more of a life-and-death grudge."
The smile that had been on the Nether Monarch’s face suddenly vanished.
Her voice was as cold as ice. "Come out!"
For the past few days, she had been all smiles around Lu Changyuan, truly treating him as her most trusted Lifebound Spirit.
But now, with what seemed to be an outsider’s appearance, she reverted to her usual coldness.
A wave of Nether Qi swept out, completely annihilating the forest before them.
The giant Spirit the two had been riding slowly dissipated, forcing them to land on the ground.
Lu Changyuan suddenly drew his sword, slashing apart an illusory Spirit that was attacking them. He then said coolly, "It seems our visitor doesn’t come in peace."
A contemptuous voice echoed from the shadows. "Nether, so you’re really not dead. Is this your Lifebound Spirit?"
A woman with blue hair and pointed ears walked out from the dense forest.
The Nether Monarch said flatly, "Du? You mean to stop me? Who gave you the order? The Red Venerable? Or the Blue Venerable?"
"You truly have no talent. To think you summoned a member of the weak Human Race as your Lifebound Spirit. If this were back in the clan, you’d be a laughingstock."
The woman named Du scoffed. "Look at you, with your human-like black hair. What? Did a human take you away, so now you look like one too?"
Lu Changyuan turned to look at the Nether Monarch and found her expressionless, but her killing intent was immense.
’Just like Qiu Yuehan.’
’When she’s at her coldest, her Sword Moves are at their most ferocious.’
A sword imbued with Nether Qi materialized in the Nether Monarch’s hand.
Without another word, she unleashed a continuous, overwhelming force that rushed forward.
Things weren’t easy for Lu Changyuan either. Spirits appeared from nowhere and swarmed him.
They were life forms he had never seen before, including a giant fish-like Spirit that seemed to swim through the air, spitting acidic bubbles at him.
’What in the world is all this?!’
Lu Changyuan swung Broken Thought in a reverse grip and lopped off the fish’s head.
"Nether! You’ll never get the Venerable title."
"That’s none of your concern."
Suddenly, many blood-red flowers bloomed around Lu Changyuan, and the Spirits surrounding him instantly dissipated.
With a shrill scream, Du fled into the distance.
The Nether Monarch didn’t give chase. She simply floated to Lu Changyuan’s side. "Let’s keep going."
"What’s a ’Venerable title’?" Lu Changyuan asked curiously.
"The strongest member of each race is granted a Venerable title." The Nether Monarch leaned close to Lu Changyuan’s ear. "I’m going to use the title to achieve the Dao with the help of the Spirit Race’s providence."
’Achieve the Dao?’
’Judging by the Nether Monarch’s current aura, she’s trying to light the stars and ascend to Yao Guang.’
’And considering that Spirit Race member named Du was only around the Fifth Realm, the combat strength of people in this Ancient Era isn’t completely outrageous.’
Ultimately, the Seventh Realm was just a stage in comprehending the Dao, a Realm defined by the Human Race. Lu Changyuan didn’t know if other races had similar classifications.
But generally speaking, the Fifth Realm was still difficult to enter, the Sixth Realm was like ascending to the heavens, and Yao Guang was supreme.
Lu Changyuan’s ear tickled, and an awkward expression crossed his face. But the Nether Monarch seemed to love seeing him look so uncomfortable.
The young woman’s hair brushed against Lu Changyuan’s cheek. "Once I achieve the Dao, your status will rise with mine. When that time comes, you can go out and tell everyone I’m your master, and no one will dare to capture you."
’What a master of empty promises.’
’Are you planning to drag me to the ends of the earth with you?’
Lu Changyuan suddenly realized something and asked, "Can you not obtain the Venerable title without a Lifebound Spirit?"
The young woman’s lips curled into a smile, as if she greatly admired Lu Changyuan.
"That’s exactly right. Only by possessing a Lifebound Spirit can I prove I am truly of the Royal Family."
The Nether Monarch said she hadn’t originally planned to summon a Lifebound Spirit, yet she had summoned Lu Changyuan right before returning to her clan.
’Deducing her actions from her goal...’
’My summoning must have been to serve her purpose in returning to the clan.’
"So you’re very important to me. You’re like my other half."
’The Spirit Race and their Spirits are each other’s other half?’
Lu Changyuan frowned, feeling that this conversation would be endless if it continued. He changed the subject. "Why did you let Du go just now?"
For a Fifth Realm to escape from a Sixth Realm—especially the Nether Monarch, who cultivated the Path of Death—was rather far-fetched.
The Nether Monarch crossed her arms, her beautiful lips seeming to have a moist sheen.
She said,
"I let her go back to deliver a message. That way, the clan will know I’ve returned."
’Wound her, but don’t kill her.’
’Let her return openly to the clan and announce Nether’s arrival.’
A mocking smile hung on the black-haired young woman’s face, yet she was stunningly beautiful, like an emperor looking down on all creation. "It’s about time they returned what’s mine."
The Nether Monarch didn’t explain to Lu Changyuan what had been taken from her or what she intended to take back. She just leaned her body into his arms and said softly, "Be your master’s pillow for a while."
The young woman’s weight on Lu Changyuan’s body was as light as a feather.
The giant Spirit reappeared.
The two continued on their way toward the enormous tree.
As if sleep-talking, the Nether Monarch said, "I like humans. Although they are weak, they have tremendous Life Force and are very warm to their families. Perhaps because I like the Human Race, my Lifebound Spirit is also human."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A child?"
Qiu Yuehan stared blankly at herself.
The lake’s surface reflected her face. It was that of a little girl, identical to how she had looked in her youth.
"Am I dreaming?"
After her junior sister left, she had started meditating on her bed. But perhaps because she had spent so much time with her junior sister, who in turn had spent so much time with that Old Monster, her meditation was unfocused. At some point, the Moon Fairy’s head had tilted to the side, and she had fallen asleep.
People are sometimes like this, clearly aware that they are dreaming while they are in a dream.
This was the case for Qiu Yuehan now.
"No, wait. Is this me?"
Before her was a massive lake, in which Qiu Yuehan was looking at her own reflection. Her features were identical to her own, but Qiu Yuehan didn’t remember her ears being pointed.
Nor did she remember being in front of such a huge lake as a child.
Judging by her age in the reflection, she seemed to be only six or seven. At that age, she should have been at the Miao Yu Palace seeking the Dao, just beginning to learn the Miao Yu Palace’s Heart Method. How could she possibly be wearing a simple black dress, staring blankly at a lake in this dense forest?
"This isn’t me!"
Qiu Yuehan murmured.
She looked up at the moon. It was bright and incredibly real, yet for some inexplicable reason, Qiu Yuehan found it unfamiliar.
An unfamiliar moon.
An unfamiliar forest, an unfamiliar self.
For no reason at all, Qiu Yuehan felt a little scared.
"Found her?"
"Not yet."
Suddenly, the sound of voices came from the distance, and a glimmer of light appeared.
Qiu Yuehan knew, inexplicably, that these people were looking for her, and their purpose was simple.
They wanted to kill her.
’I have to escape, or I’ll die.’
The thought quickly filled Qiu Yuehan’s mind, and she got up, scrambling and stumbling as she ran into the distance.
She waved her hand instinctively, and a small, leopard-like Spirit appeared before her.
The leopard lowered its body, let Qiu Yuehan climb on its back, and then sped through the forest.
"There’s movement... over there!"
Amid the rustling sounds of pursuit, someone chased after her like a venomous snake.
Qiu Yuehan trembled with fear, her small frame cowering. Even though this was a dream, the tangible fear of death was crystal clear.
Clinging to this thought, Qiu Yuehan urged the leopard to go even faster.
BANG!
Her small body slammed into the ground. Dirt met her cute little face in an intimate collision, leaving her delicate features a mess, smudged with specks of soil.
Qiu Yuehan stared blankly at her small hands.
’My Magical Power is gone.’
’Measured by the Dao Realm, this body is only at about the First Realm. Pathetically weak. I probably ran out of Magical Power, which is why I was resting by the lake. I didn’t expect the pursuers to catch up so soon.’
’I’m going to die.’
Qiu Yuehan had never sensed this so clearly before.
Not even when she was heavily injured and being hunted by two Cultivators from the Blood Demon Palace had she felt this way.
The premonition of death flooded her mind, making it hard for Qiu Yuehan to breathe.
"She’s around here somewhere. I can smell the Spirit. She must be out of energy."
"Find her and kill her!"
’No, I don’t want to die!’
Suddenly, a hand smelling of earth clamped over her mouth. Qiu Yuehan’s pupils constricted from the intense emotion, and her limbs began to thrash wildly.
"Don’t be afraid. I’m here to help you."
It was a woman’s voice, aged and tinged with weariness.
Terrified, Qiu Yuehan turned her head and saw an old woman.
The old woman’s appearance was almost identical to hers, except she didn’t have pointed ears.
She was a member of the Human Race.
’Why is a human here?’
"Don’t move. I’ll cover up your aura."
The old woman took out a jar of gray paste and began smearing it on Qiu Yuehan’s face.
"We of the Human Race are the weakest, so we’ve perfected the best methods of concealment. Since you’re being hunted by your own clansmen, why don’t you come back with me to the humans?"