A Sense of Time

Faced with a giant tree that has vanished without a trace, and having to explore on his own, Zhang Xuezhou would feel utterly lost.

But if communication is normal, Zhang Xuezhou doesn't think the matter is serious.

Inside the greenhouse, he described his vision of a vast world beyond the heavens, while the ancient tree branches trembled incessantly in the blue light.

Small cases like ginseng and lingzhi being harvested by farmers are irrelevant; ancient trees are not compared to weeds, just as people never see themselves as monkeys.

But the memory of the green glow of the Spiritwood Staff did indeed stir the ancient tree.

The impact of such memories is almost devastating, enough to shatter all that is beautiful—to break through darkness and usher in light.

The unknown world can be beautiful, but it is more often filled with darkness.

"I wonder if anyone is coveting Hongjun?"

If one were to compare oneself to a Spirit Root of heaven and earth, one would inevitably be the focus of countless eyes.

But Hongjun was human, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't think of any good value in humans.

Upon closer examination, his theory of darkness is also untenable.

However, the inherited memories and sights received by the ancient tree were not pleasant, and the cultivators it came into contact with ultimately met with resentment and became increasingly gloomy in their mental fluctuations.

"If we strive with all our might, and the result is still endless darkness, then what is the point of our pursuit?"

The ancient tree seemed to be making a mournful, questioning sound.

"The beauty of life lies not in rapid growth, but in experiencing different things every moment. This may lead to a mundane life, but life allows you to witness all kinds of beauty and to carry beautiful memories," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"The kind of wonderful thing you're describing is just an illusion..."

"No, no, no, only good things will bring you good things. This might lead you to like-minded partners who grow together. Perhaps when you finally pierce through the darkness, your partners will be there to shelter you from the storm. What we need to do is not to become strong alone, but to grow collectively and make up for our own shortcomings, so that we can step into the true light!"

Zhang Xuezhou spoke eloquently.

He practically pointed to himself with both fingers, indicating that they could be helpful partners.

If their status were relatively equal, and he didn't need to become one of those great cultivators who were practically slaves, Zhang Xuezhou clearly wanted to build a friendship with the ancient tree.

He has never cared about saving face, nor will he feel inferior because of the other party's strength or status. He will try his best to curry favor with anyone who can help him.

This was Zhang Xuezhou's early life, which he gradually abandoned as he grew stronger. Zhang Xuezhou never expected that he would pick it up again one day.

Of course, he didn't feel ashamed.

If he and the ancient tree can complement each other, Zhang Xuezhou thinks that's a good thing.

"You are very wise, but it's a pity," the ancient tree sighed.

"What?" Zhang Xuezhou asked in surprise.

"I have cared for countless intelligent beings, and trusted a cultivator named Donghua, exhausting all my efforts to guide him to power. But in the brief moment after failing to reach the light, a new inheritor has arrived here," the ancient tree said. "Like a piece of rotten wood drifting in a river, I can no longer afford the cost of this kind of cultivation, and besides..."

The ancient tree remained silent for a very long time, so long that Zhang Xuezhou almost thought the other person had lost their mind.

"If I say any more, I'll die," the ancient tree said. "My life has been like that poor child's; I've never seen beauty, and I'll never see beauty again!"

"How could you die when you have such a long lifespan?"

Zhang Xuezhou three parts surprised and seven parts delighted. He felt as if he had heard an unexpected, even sudden, piece of news.

He will not become the ancient tree's partner, nor will he most likely become its slave.

Although he had this thought in his mind, Zhang Xuezhou still maintained a degree of surprise.

"I don't know either," the ancient tree said. "I've been in a deep slumber, and I don't know when my body was ignited. This stinging pain woke me up. This is a fire I can't extinguish, and it will turn me into a tiny spark before slowly disappearing!"

"Oh my god, what should we do?" Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed.

"To be born without seeing the light, and to radiate a sliver of light after death, is not such an end not bad," the ancient tree said.

"You..."

Zhang Xuezhou was speechless for a moment.

The ancient tree could accept its fate, but Zhang Xuezhou could not.

He imagined death to be the withering and silent death of the ancient tree, which ultimately left behind its remains for his use.

If Zhang Xuezhou could travel through time for several decades, he might be able to break free and decide which world he would live in.

That was all he had in mind, but Zhang Xuezhou hadn't expected that the ancient tree's death would be caused by burning and turning into embers.

If everything was burned to ashes, how could he possibly travel between two worlds so far apart?

Zhang Xuezhou felt that everything he did was about to fall into chaos.

"Is there any way to put out the fire?" Zhang Xuezhou asked. "Can I help?"

"That burning is extremely contagious; it must originate from some kind of special celestial fire," the ancient tree said. "This celestial fire can burn wood and stone, and it can continue to burn in the air until my soul and body are destroyed. You should be powerless to extinguish it!"

"How will we know the outcome if we don't try?" Zhang Xuezhou said. "Let me take a look first, and then I'll ask around to see if there's any way!"

Look over there!

When the greenhouse was closed and reopened, Zhang Xuezhou saw the familiar tree and chair area.

Following the direction indicated by the ancient tree's branches and leaves, he also saw a faint red glow.

The red light felt somewhat familiar to Zhang Xuezhou, seemingly resembling the Nagoth's Doomsday Fragment. However, this red light was far too small; compared to the immense size of the tree chair, it was like a tiny black sesame seed stuck to a person's body.

The contrast was so stark that Zhang Xuezhou didn't perceive the problem as particularly serious when he approached.

Of course, Zhang Xuezhou had to admit that he couldn't do much in this state; in his spiritual state, he could only target the spiritual soul, and it was difficult for him to target the physical form.

"Forgive my frankness, but this potential risk doesn't seem significant," Zhang Xuezhou said. "If someone could remove it, your body wouldn't be affected at all!"

"No one can come to a place like this, and I can't go anywhere else. I can only drift in this darkness and endure the constant burning," the ancient tree sighed.

"We can't, but Hongjun might be able to get in here," Zhang Xuezhou said. "However, I'm not sure how long it will take to get his help, what the cost will be, or whether you can hold out until then!"

"Hongjun has captured me thirteen times during this period. He seems to dislike me very much. Can he help me?" the ancient tree asked.

"If you can accept death, why not try to invite him for help? I can also try to invite him," Zhang Xuezhou said. "As long as you hold on a little longer, since I don't have much of a relationship with him, it might take some time if I were to ask him for help!"

"There's not much time left. I can feel this intense fire burning; it will soon erode my body," the ancient tree said.

"That's such a pity," Zhang Xuezhou sighed.

No matter how much he planned, he could never have foreseen that the tree chair would be destroyed by the apocalyptic debris. Zhang Xuezhou felt that things were over and all his calculations had come to nothing.

He now only hopes to return to reality and then be able to bear the impact of being cut off from the other world.

"If I count one day as a complete world travel, how long can your body sustain that?"

As the exchange with the mallards drew near, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but ask a follow-up question.

"At your rate of counting, there might be six thousand days left, but that's just a fleeting moment. Time is running out!"

When the ancient tree was replenished again, Zhang Xuezhou's heart skipped a beat, realizing that their concepts of time were indeed different.

For an ancient tree, "immediately," "quickly," "not much time," or "a moment" can mean a full five hundred years, enough to etch the rise and fall of a dynasty and allow humankind to reproduce for more than ten generations.

Over such a long period of time, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the burning seemed to have no effect on him.