The big tree seemed to have taken root. It hadn't moved for several days.
Up in the canopy, Little Sapling had made a new friend: the man.
The man was still terrified. The big tree had been frightening enough when it swatted a Star Envoy out of the sky, and it looked sinister no matter how he saw it. As for Little Sapling, he assumed it was the big tree's true form. Whatever Little Sapling did, he could only grit his teeth and play along, terrified of offending it.
The old man on this planet, an Enlightenment Realm Expert, was keeping it company too. He didn't dare disturb it in the slightest, though he also hoped to earn the Star Envoy's favor and receive some boon that might help him advance his cultivation.
The entire street had been sealed off. The cracks in the ground spread farther and farther, and there was no sign of life anywhere. Only the big tree remained, its branches swaying in the breeze.
Rain began to fall.
The old Enlightenment Realm Expert hurriedly waved away the clouds, letting the sunlight shine down again.
The space beside him twisted, and Lu Yin stepped out.
He'd rushed over as soon as he heard about Little Sapling, but he had only just arrived.
"Has this tree been here the whole time without moving?" Lu Yin asked.
The Enlightenment Realm Expert replied, "Yes, that tree—" He broke off, then quickly turned around and stared at Lu Yin in astonishment. "You, you..." He had meant to ask who Lu Yin was. He hadn't noticed anyone appear beside him, and his instincts had immediately raised the alarm. But as he looked at Lu Yin, the man seemed familiar. His thoughts tangled up, and he didn't know what to say.
Lu Yin