Just then, a young man in the distance suddenly spotted her. He was taken aback at first, then a bright smile appeared on his face. He waved and shouted, "Come on!" "We're about to leave!" Qian Wenwan was slightly startled. She subconsciously looked back and saw that Emptiness behind her. She thought the man was calling someone else.
But the next moment, the young man came running over. He was about twenty years old, with a sunny smile on his face and eyes so clear that there was no impurity in them. After arriving in front of Qian Wenwan, he first looked at her carefully for a couple of seconds. Then he scratched his head and looked puzzled.
"Strange, I feel like I've never seen you before?" He waved his hand immediately after saying that, a smile returning to his face. "It's not important." "We're all from the Shade-Guarding Clan. Today is the Ancient Tree Festival; everyone should go to the Dao Source Ancient Tree to pray for blessings. Why are you still standing here in a daze?"
Qian Wenwan's eyes flickered slightly. She secretly probed the other person, only to find that he harbored no malice whatsoever, not even a hint of wariness. His Fate Soul was so pure it was almost transparent. After speaking, the young man didn't give her any time to think; he directly reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Hurry up, hurry up!" "We're leaving soon!" "If we're any later, we'll miss the group!"
Qian Wenwan was completely stunned. Eternal Silence Realm · Supreme, this was the first time in countless years that someone had dared to pull her along so carelessly. Even more outrageous, the other person seemed completely oblivious to the problem. The young man pulled her through the crowd, waving to those around him, "Everyone, make way!" "Found another one who's fallen behind." "Hahaha."
Hearing this, the people around smiled kindly and made way for her. Some elderly people even waved to Qian Wenwan, saying, "Go quickly, child." "The blessing of the ancient tree is about to begin." "Don't be late." Qian Wenwan was pulled through the crowd, a rare look of bewilderment appearing on her face for the first time.
She discovered that everyone here seemed to accept her as belonging; there was no interrogation, no probing, no wariness, and certainly no hostility. That feeling made even the head manager, who had years of experience navigating between various factions, feel a sense of unreality, all while the young man was pulling her forward.
At the edge of the distant mountains, an enormous golden-blue pillar of light slowly rose, and all the flower petals in the world danced in the air at the same time. The entire territory of the Shade-Guarding Clan seemed to be awakening, and an ancient festival belonging to the Joy Clan and the Love Clan was about to officially begin.
Qian Wenwan was swept along by the crowd and moved forward slowly. At first, she remained somewhat vigilant, her divine sense constantly covering her surroundings. However, as she truly entered the group, her vigilance gradually loosened. The people around her were so gentle; the elderly supported each other as they walked, and the young people wore genuine smiles on their faces.
The children chased and played at the edge of the group. Occasionally, they would fall, and someone would immediately come forward to help them up. There were no disputes, no wariness, and none of the probing and scheming common among the forces in the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain. The whole place was filled with a warm and gentle atmosphere.
Gradually, Qian Wenwan discovered that the essence of her Fate Soul was beginning to undergo subtle changes. A gentle, warm current flowed into her body through the air and slowly passed through the depths of her Fate Soul. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes became slightly dazed, because she clearly felt that two special emotions within her Fate Soul were being nourished.
It was an extremely peculiar feeling. For countless years, she had been accustomed to strategizing, weighing pros and cons, and maneuvering among various forces. But at this moment, those complex thoughts were gradually fading away, replaced by a simple joy, without any reason, just a heartfelt happiness.
Immediately afterwards, another, gentler force slowly spread out. This force was without sharpness or oppression, falling into the depths of her Fate Soul like a spring drizzle. Qian Wenwan's heart trembled slightly, for she felt her "love" resonating within her. It was not romantic love, but a broader emotion—a love for life and an embrace of all things.
The appreciation for the beauty of the world nourished her Fate Soul, allowing her tense spirit to gradually relax. She felt as if she hadn't felt this relaxed in many years. Unconsciously, Qian Wenwan slowed her pace, her expression softened, and a faint smile appeared in her eyes.
She walked quietly in the middle of the crowd, listening to the children's laughter, the elderly's conversations, and watching the strangers around her taking care of each other. Her mind slowly became immersed in the atmosphere. Just then, the communication jade tablet inside her storage crystal core suddenly lit up with a faint light. It was a message from Qin Yu, and the jade tablet trembled slightly.
A faint fluctuation of divine thought emanated from it, but Qian Wenwan was completely unaware of it. She was completely captivated by everything before her, her Fate Soul immersed in that warm and peaceful emotion, even forgetting her true purpose for entering this realm. The group moved forward slowly, and after an unknown amount of time, the distant world suddenly opened up.
Countless people simultaneously revealed expressions of reverence. Qian Wenwan subconsciously looked up, and the next moment, she was stunned again. In the center of the earth in front of her stood a huge ancient tree, which was tens of thousands of feet tall. Its branches and leaves covered the sky for hundreds of miles. The trunk was a warm golden-blue color, and countless branches stretched out in all directions. Every leaf was flowing with a faint glow.
When the wind blows, the entire ancient tree emits a melodious hum, like countless people softly chanting. Most strangely, specks of light constantly fall from the tree canopy. After those specks of light fall into the bodies of the people, the smiles on everyone's faces become even brighter. Qian Wenwan could clearly sense that this tree was not the same as the Source Root Ancient Tree worshipped by the Duckweed Clan of the Northern Region.
It also originates from the Dao Source Ancient Tree, but belongs to a different branch. The tree flows with a rich joy and warmth, as if it has gathered all the beautiful emotions in the world. This is the ancient tree of the Shade-Guarding Clan, belonging to the faith of the Joy Clan and Love Clan, and the source of their emotions. At this moment, tens of thousands of the Shade-Guarding Clan members have all gathered under the tree.
The crowd parted automatically, forming countless neat rows. At the very front, two elderly men with white hair and beards slowly emerged. They wore simple robes and each held an ancient staff. At the top of the staffs were two tree seeds of different colors, one emitting a warm golden light and the other a soft blue glow. The two elderly men had solemn and dignified expressions.
They walked step by step to the center of the altar, then simultaneously raised their divine staffs and began chanting ancient incantations. Their voices were deep and resonant, as if they came from countless ages ago. As the incantations began, the entire ancient tree trembled gently, and billions of leaves in its canopy swayed simultaneously. Golden and blue light poured down upon the heavens and earth, enveloping the entire territory of the Shade-Guarding Clan in a soft and holy glow.
At that moment, tens of thousands of people bowed their heads simultaneously, their expressions utterly devout. No one uttered a sound, no one looked around, and everyone's eyes were filled with awe and gratitude. Then, led by two elders, tens of thousands of people slowly knelt down and kowtowed to the ancient tree, their movements synchronized and solemn.
Qian Wenwan stood in the center of the crowd, gazing at the scene before her. Her heart was moved by the sight. She looked at the devout expressions of everyone around her, and at the ancient tree radiating a warm glow. Her gaze softened. Then, she followed the example of those around her, slowly kneeling down, clasping her hands together, and bowing her head, joining the tens of thousands of the Shade-Guarding Clan members.
They began to complete their pilgrimage ceremony, while at the same time, deep within the storage crystal core, the constantly flashing communication jade tablet continued to emit a faint light. The message from Qin Yu remained unread.
At the center of the altar, the two elder clan chiefs slowly raised their staffs toward the sky. As the last ancient incantation fell, the entire world suddenly fell silent. The wind stopped. The clouds stopped. Even the sound of the distant waterfall became extremely faint. Tens of thousands of members of the Shade-Guarding Clan remained kneeling devoutly on the ground.
Each person's forehead was lightly pressed to the ground, their expression serene, as if awaiting some sacred moment. In the next instant, the majestic ancient tree suddenly emitted a deep and resonant hum. The hum was not loud, but it seemed to penetrate directly into the depths of Fate Soul. Immediately afterward, countless golden-blue light spots began to light up deep within the tree's canopy.
The countless leaves of the ancient tree trembled slightly at the same time. The rustling sound of the leaves colliding grew clearer and clearer. Gradually, the sound evolved into an extremely beautiful melody, like the laughter of countless lives, like a child's innocent lullaby, like the tenderest whisper between lovers.
It was like a mother's gentle comforting voice. The voice had no words, yet it brought peace to all who heard it. The entire altar square was enveloped in this soft melody. Qian Wenwan's body trembled slightly, and she felt her Fate Soul resonate with it. Just then...
Suddenly, the ancient tree's canopy burst forth with dazzling light, and all the leaves slowly unfurled. Then, a breathtaking scene unfolded: from the center of each leaf, an even more crystalline and translucent new leaf split off. One leaf gave birth to two leaves. Millions of leaves did this simultaneously. From afar, the entire ancient tree seemed to transform into a golden- Sea of Form.