A Tree Becomes Human, Bronze Becomes an Immortal
In the deep valley, green pines stand tall and graceful.
The brownish-yellow branches grow horizontally in all directions, and the bright green pine needles are always very conspicuous, clustered on the latter half of each branch.
From a distance, it looks as if clusters of emerald clouds have gathered on an exquisitely crafted wooden ornament.
Chu Tianshu sat cross-legged under the tree, his eyes closed, his back naturally straight, his hands forming a mudra, palms facing upward, resting on his knees, his breathing long and deep.
The light and temperature within half a mile changed progressively with his breathing.
As he exhaled, the humidity in the entire area rose noticeably, and the temperature also climbed. Wisps of water vapor rose from the nearby ponds, the damp soil, and the grass.
As he inhaled, the surrounding temperature dropped lower and lower, even giving the illusion that a wider range of natural light was rushing towards him.
Whether exhaling or inhaling, anyone who gets within a hundred feet of him and can calm down will feel their eardrums bulge, as if they are hearing the sound of an endless wind.
Like a moist, long-lasting airflow, it slowly flows over the mountains, blending with the sunlight, meandering and lingering, continuously emitting the whistling sound of "qi".
The people who moved to the valley all set up a separate place, about two miles away from him, and practiced their swordsmanship diligently.
Zhuo Yuan practiced the most diligently.
His diligence was no less than that of others, and he already had a foundation in internal strength, so he could naturally cultivate for a longer period of time. The Daoist Child Shitou practiced his fists beside him, and the shadow of swordsmanship was faintly visible in his fists.
Lu Yuande sat in a rattan chair, and beside him was the only person, besides the old Daoist priest, who wasn't practicing any moves.
That is, the young girl Zhuo Xinlan.
This little girl's talent doesn't lie in swordsmanship techniques; Chu Tianshu passed on to her the Secret Incantations of Vertical and Horizontal.
She changed into a blue cloth dress, which looked far less vibrant than the red dress she wore that day, but her movements were more relaxed, and she couldn't help but glance at the pine tree.
Seeing that Chu Tianshu seemed to be finishing his practice, she walked over there.
Two miles is still quite a distance for Zhuo Xinlan.
Chu Tianshu was indeed finishing his practice, raising both hands high above his head, then turning his palms down to return to his original state and gather the energy in his dantian.
But after finishing his practice, Chu Tianshu raised his left hand alone, his five fingers slightly bent, and a drop of emerald green, Ruyu essence of heaven and earth gradually condensed in the air above his palm.
The teardrop-shaped essence gradually increases in size until it reaches the size of a fist, its surface covered with crystalline textures resembling swirling water.
Chu Tianshu then tossed the ball of heaven and earth essence behind him.
The pine tree trunk absorbed this essence, and all its branches trembled slightly, creating a serene and otherworldly sound.
"So comfortable."
The pine tree's will blossomed, "If I keep eating like this, I feel like I'll soon become human."
Although this pine tree was a demon, it did not crave blood. Even the monk who was killed by it was pushed a little further away and buried in another pit.
While practicing his martial arts under the tree, Chu Tianshu inadvertently discovered that the tree had a strong affinity for absorbing water-attribute essence of heaven and earth.
That's strange.
The pine tree's foundation is no less than that of Attaining the Dao enlightened being; what it can control and expel is the essence of wood.
However, the water element's refinement of it seems to be more pronounced than the wood element essence it cultivated itself.
Chu Tianshu had also pondered this matter and vaguely felt that it was not simply a matter of a particular essence, but rather a wondrous effect produced by the combination of water and wood energies.
Moreover, even within the same elemental energy, there are thousands of differences depending on the cultivation method.
Chu Tianshu initially broke through the Taboo with the Sky-Spanning Art. Within his water-attribute essence, there was a sign that the Kun had transformed into a Peng, with the Peng's wings Sky-Spanning.
The pine tree, though a plant, cultivates the Bai He Technique, embodying the idea of moving from stillness to movement and transforming into a divine bird.
This is why the combination of the two makes the pine tree feel so comfortable.
If Helai to this world and encounter this pine tree, it would probably be a much better match than Chu Tianshu.
As the pine branches trembled slightly, fine, dust-like dewdrops gradually fell, all drifting onto Chu Tianshu.
Chu Tianshu accepted everything without question, his expression serene.
Every time this pine tree is watered, it produces a fine dew.
The abundant vital energy in the emerald green water source promotes the flow of qi in the meridians, while the fine dew drifting from the pine trees benefits the mind.
When practicing martial arts, regardless of the type of martial art, the stronger the martial art, the more it will have the characteristic of "movement".
Even with techniques like the Cold Ice True Qi, the faster the internal energy is circulated, the more intense the external cold energy will be.
Speed can easily lead to chaos and agitation.
Therefore, even when practicing extremely cold martial arts or spells, there is a risk of "going into overdrive," which is when the restlessness exceeds the limit and goes out of control.
The fine dew falling from the pine trees can alleviate the restlessness hidden in all things.
Chu Tianshu felt that after each practice session, being treated like this made it easier to control the heat of the Sun-Boiling True Scripture" under the gentle, subtle touch of the dew that smoothed out its sharpness.
"Master."
Zhuo Xinlan walked closer, bowed to Chu Tianshu with her hands clasped, and looked at the pine tree with brimming eyes.
"Senior Tree seems even happier."
Zhuo Xinlan's Spirit Body allowed her to understand animal language and communicate with all kinds of animals.
However, based on Chu Tianshu's observation, it can be confirmed.
This so-called animal language is essentially a kind of spirituality that Zhuo Xinlan temporarily bestows upon the birds and beasts when she tries to speak to them.
It could make birds and beasts a little more intelligent, so they could understand the questions Zhuo Xinlan raised and quickly provide answers.
This effect is inherently unsustainable and cannot be applied to plants.
But this pine tree has become a spirit.
Whenever Zhuo Xinlan talks to it, it feels exceptionally relaxed and its thinking becomes more agile.
Chu Tianshu then encouraged the little girl to spend more time with the pine tree.
"Good, you can continue cultivating under the tree for a while. I'm going out for a bit."
Chu Tianshu took out a silver needle from his sleeve; the tip of the needle was slightly red.
He left a lot of silver needles at the Pengcheng Tavern. The effect was very simple: to alert him that something was happening and to ask him to go and take a look.
Different types of silver needles represent different levels of urgency.
After giving a few words of advice, Chu Tianshu leisurely got up and left.
"Hehe, Xiaolan will tell you a little secret that Chu Tianshu doesn't know."
The pine tree sent out a thought, "Actually, I can already project my thoughts, forming a human shape, and acting independently of my physical form."
"But I haven't decided what I want to look like yet. I think I'm female, so maybe I should look like you? Is that okay?"
Zhuo Xinlan stroked the tree trunk and smiled, "Senior Tree really wants to become human."
Tree: "Of course."
"But being a person is also very hard."
Zhuo Xinlan's eyes held a hint of envy, and she subconsciously remarked, "Some people are even worse off than trees."
Trees may be felled, but people can be cut down too, and the chances of being cut down are not low. People do not have the vitality to grow new branches on tree stumps.
Although Zhuo Xinlan was only fourteen years old, she had been making a living with her father since she was a child and already knew that it was not easy to be a person in this world.
Sometimes, she really wished she could transform into a sparrow or a tree, even if she perished under arrows or fell to swords and axes, at least she could enjoy a little more peace and quiet than humans.
"Wrong!"
The pine tree said, "Humans are definitely better than trees."
"If humans live worse than trees, then it's not a problem with being human; there must be something else going on!"
Zhuo Xinlan paused for a moment, then laughed.
"I have a feeling that my master might say something similar, but since he's a man, I'm still a little embarrassed to talk to him about these things."
"Should they change their clothes to something more fitted, or even armor?"
The pine tree hesitated and said, "I'll project it onto the water for you, take a look first?"
Zhuo Xinlan happily replied, "Great! Great!"
Seeing his daughter from afar, Zhuo Yuan felt even more motivated to practice his swordsmanship.
Others, seeing this, were not to be outdone.
The valley was quiet, yet the people there were incredibly warm and welcoming.
Chu Tianshu left the valley and soon arrived at the tavern.
Before he even entered the gate, he noticed the carriage at the very front of the caravan.
Who's sitting in the carriage? Why does their aura seem so strange?
No, it doesn't seem to be human, but it's not a fairy like a pine tree either.
The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted.
Inside the carriage sat a bronze statue with a tall crown and Daoist robe, its face covered with intricate, openwork talismanic patterns.
"So you're the one who received this gift?"
Grand Matriarch Gao came out from inside the door carrying a wine bowl, and said with delight, "He is indeed a handsome man."
She noticed that Chu Tianshu's gaze had already turned to the first carriage, and immediately explained.
"The most valuable item on this gift list is inside the carriage: the Bronze Longevity Immortal!"
(End of this chapter)