What did it mean to be the protagonist of the world?
It meant being cherished by Heaven and Earth, blessed with good fortune, and receiving divine aid in cultivation and evolution. No matter what danger you faced, you always managed to turn it into a blessing.
Yu An had watched so many novels and TV dramas in his previous life. When it came to the advantages of being the protagonist of the world, the list was practically endless.
However, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root was a catch-all term. It didn't refer only to a particular Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root; it included ordinary plants and Rare Species alike. Anything with the potential to evolve into a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root fell into this category.
Of course, the process was unimaginably brutal.
Unlike humans, who could take shelter in a Blessed Land, plants in the wilderness had no choice but to endure the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster head-on.
They were literally staking their lives on it.
But danger also held opportunity.
Like the Qi of Creation Yu An had discovered.
Since he could absorb it, those plants could probably do the same. They couldn't compare with him, of course, but as long as they survived the ordeal, they could gradually open the door to evolution over time.
Ordinary humans clearly lacked that ability. Even now, they could only rely on Immortal Destiny to break through to the Qi Refining Realm.
According to what he'd learned from the Yu Family, Heaven and Earth had undergone a tremendous upheaval three thousand years ago. Then the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster descended, eventually giving rise to Heaven and Earth Spiritual Roots and places like Blessed Lands and Grotto Heavens.
Yu An had no way of learning the truth behind the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster.
But since he'd transmigrated into this world and become an Elm Tree Rare Species, he intended to graciously accept the world's "favor."
He wanted to see the scenery of the Blessed Lands and the wonders of the Grotto Heavens, too.
Perhaps the ultimate truth lay beyond those vistas.
After letting his thoughts run wild for a while, Yu An turned his attention to the half-withered leaves.
For him, it was still too early to talk about being the protagonist of the world.
All those mysteries would become clear naturally once he became a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root.
Thinking too much about them now wouldn't help at all.
He might as well focus on surviving this Black Annihilation Wind Disaster and claiming the greatest possible benefit from it.
Like the Qi of Creation he'd found earlier.
So Yu An continued practicing the Flying Flower Plucking Leaf technique.
The effects of doubling his life force were showing now.
His soul had grown twice as strong, too, and his control over his tree body had reached a point where he could command it as easily as moving a finger.
At his command, dry leaves shot out one after another and struck the wall, shattering to pieces.
Judging by the force of the impacts, they were already powerful enough to make a little kid cry.
If any bugs dared crawl onto him, he wouldn't be helpless anymore. He wouldn't have to rely on someone else, either. One strike of Flying Flower Plucking Leaf would kill them outright.
And that was with his tree body half-withered, its vitality completely withdrawn.
Once he returned to peak condition, he was sure the technique would be even more powerful.
He just didn't know whether it could become a Divine Ability once he reached the third stage.
Divine Abilities were nothing like the abilities he'd developed himself. There was no comparison between them.
All he had to do was look at his first two Divine Abilities to see that.
He'd leave Town Protection aside for now.
But Forming Bonds could create Immortal Destiny.
If Flying Flower Plucking Leaf became a Divine Ability, then as long as he was willing to pay a certain price, it might even be possible for him to kill a Qi Refining Realm cultivator.
Only then would he truly have the means to protect himself.
In the end, Yu An kept the fifty toughest leaves, just in case.
Even though the half-withered leaves were still slowly absorbing power from the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster, it was no longer a concern for Yu An.
Then he shifted his view to Old Man Yu in the root space.
At that moment, Old Man Yu huddled deeper into his thick clothes, then took out a cold, hard rice cake and began to eat.
The temperature in the root space was much higher than aboveground, where the cold was enough to freeze an ordinary person who hadn't cultivated.
Old Man Yu had reached Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment. Even though he was getting on in years and his vital energy and blood were beginning to decline, he shouldn't have been so afraid of the cold.
But with his lifespan dwindling without pause, he was currently in a weakened state. It was only natural that his resistance to the cold had diminished.
Aside from the temperature, there was also the psychological aspect.
Still, no matter how cold it got, Old Man Yu never considered lighting a fire to keep warm.
His little tree had expanded its root space to give him shelter. He was already grateful for that. What would it mean to start a fire in here?
What if it affected the little tree?
He'd heard that some Spirit Medicines were delicate—even the water used to pour over them had to be special.
His own little tree was a Rare Species, not one of those delicate plants, but he didn't want to take any chances. He could only put up with the discomfort himself.
Since the Insect Race hadn't arrived yet, plenty of people in the settlement still hadn't taken refuge in their cellars. Instead, they could light fires indoors and enjoy something hot to eat.
It was their last luxury.
Once the Insect Race appeared, even the slightest trace of smoke or fire could attract those keenly sensitive bugs.
That was no different from asking to die.
Seeing that Old Man Yu was safe, Yu An relaxed.
Then he sensed around him. The thunder above had already vanished, which meant he could resume cultivating through perception.
Cultivating by sensing that faint rhythm between Heaven and Earth benefited his soul the most. Though his tree body had withdrawn its vitality and entered a half-withered state, leaving it unable to benefit, the tempering and improvement of his soul alone made it worthwhile in his eyes.
Especially since he'd just increased his life force and needed to stabilize it further.
Meanwhile, in the New Moon Blessed Land's Area B,
Yu Ershan strode briskly out of the last shop. He'd changed into a new outfit, and with his looks, he now had the air of a direct descendant of a Qi Refining family.
Behind him was Yu Dashan, dressed as a guard with a long saber at his waist and an impassive face that warned others to keep their distance.
Yu Ershan had given some thought to how he could safely buy Blood Replenishing Pills and Tendon Strengthening Bone Strengthening Grass.
The more furtive and sneaky you acted, like a thief, the more likely you were to draw attention.
The hidden watchers kept a close eye on anyone who entered those resource shops.
If you were timid, honest, and simple-minded, they saw you as easy prey—as someone they could rob and steal from.
On the other hand, they were wary of the scions of Qi Refining families, who had powerful backing, and hesitated to make a move.
Besides, everyone was rushing to buy resources these past few days, while the Insect Race had yet to appear.
That had given Yu Ershan the perfect chance to muddy the waters.
This year, the various numbered areas had changed considerably. Even those people couldn't identify every Qi Refining family's scions at a glance. As long as they had some doubts, that was enough.
Besides, Yu Ershan had chosen Area B for a reason.
After leaving the shop, Yu Ershan casually glanced around. He spotted at least three people watching from hiding.
But there wasn't a trace of fear on his face. He called out to his companion, then swaggered away.
He headed in the direction of the family home of Miss Xiaoxiao, where he'd been before.
Thanks to all the patrons for your support! The trial run ended perfectly, and we've advanced to the second round.
Monday's almost here, and Little Elm plans to make a run at the new-book rankings. I humbly ask all the patrons to lend a hand. I'll repay your great kindness twice over once the book is published!
Monthly votes, monthly votes, monthly votes, monthly votes, monthly votes!
Recommendations, recommendations, recommendations!
Before you continue