A structure with four rock pillars embedded in the ground at the corners formed a cube-shaped building. There were no walls, so the interior was visible from the outside. The roof was a congregation of leaves and roots connected to the main body of the World Tree. Surrounding flowers added a sweet fragrance, and the water pond had a calming effect on the mind. Aldrian looked at the surroundings and the majesty of the World Tree's center with a serene expression.
"This... I can sense a stronger karma connected to me here," he thought. He then focused his senses and vision until he saw a small string stemming from him. "I can see it. I can see stronger karma connected to me there," he observed, and he saw the little string connected to the structure. He felt an inexplicable closeness, so he waited to see what he might discover.
"This place is the first structure we built before we established the capital and the Ivory Empire as a whole. It holds great importance to us. We dare say that it is because of this place that the Ivory Empire still stands today. This is where the blessing is strongest and spreads across the entire Ivory Empire territory, the place where we can feel the presence of the Heavenly Tree of the World. You can even cultivate faster here because the energy is the thickest in the entire Ivory Empire," Imperial Teacher Elthar explained, to which Aldrian nodded.
"Now, this is where we must leave you. You can stay at the shrine by yourself; we will wait from afar."
Aldrian nodded and walked toward the shrine, following the karma string, curious about what this place meant to him. Elthar and the others watched him walk toward the shrine, then began to walk back the way they came when they could no longer see Aldrian.
Aldrian crossed the root bridge over the water pond and arrived at the shrine's interior. At the end, there was an altar with a picture depicting the World Tree and a small natural fountain in front of it. Aldrian felt the serenity of the place and couldn't resist sitting to meditate. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the surrounding energy.
As Imperial Teacher Elthar had said, the concentration of energy here was so thick that, if he were an ordinary cultivator, his cultivation speed would have doubled. He savored the calm atmosphere, taking the time for comprehension and self-introspection. This was also an opportunity to test one of his hypotheses about his domain.
He repeated the lines and immersed himself in becoming one with the universe, one with nature. That's when he felt something, something that made him want to burst out laughing, but he held it in. He kept his eyes closed, thoroughly enjoying this feeling of unity with the universe and nature. He didn't know why, but it felt like this should be his ultimate goal: to truly become one with the universe and nature.
Time passed, but Aldrian didn't care. He remained immersed in cultivation. However, since earlier, he had sensed an entity in front of him. He could tell the entity was a woman, sitting in a seiza position without making a sound, just watching him.
"Lady, I'm really shy if you keep looking at me like that. I can feel your stare on me since earlier. Is there something wrong with me?" Aldrian then opened his eyes to see a beautiful woman with the appearance of an elf. She had long green hair that touched the ground, a green dress that blended with the surrounding nature, ample bosom, and a slender body with a beautiful, mature face that gave her a motherly appearance.
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The Evergreen World Tree's Spirit
Race : World Tree (Spirit)
Age : 6,000,012 years (The world tree), 6,000,012 years (Spirit)
Cultivation : Peak Emperor
Techniques : The Blessing of the World Tree, the whip of her root already enough to destroy everything.
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"I didn't want to disturb your cultivation, Your Excellency. I apologize if my gaze caused you any discomfort," she said, bowing to him. Aldrian looked at the spirit for a moment.
"Not at all. I'm just curious. For the things you've done in the past, I have some questions. Can you satisfy my curiosity, Lady Spirit?"
The spirit didn't seem shocked that he knew her identity. She simply straightened her back and looked into Aldrian's eyes.
"Please ask, Your Excellency. I will answer to the best of my ability."
"Lady Spirit, I want to know the details of how you received your prophecy. I was told you suddenly had a revelation at one point. Maybe with your answer, I can find more clues about future events," he asked.
"And maybe I'll find new clues about the origin of my powers," he thought.
"It started after the phenomenon 12 years ago when the dragon and the phoenix revealed themselves to the entire continent. After that, something inside me awakened and showed me a vision. I believe it came from the Heavenly Tree of the World itself—a vision where darkness began to cover the continent, chaos spread everywhere, people ran to save themselves, and the power of emperor-stage cultivators clashed across the land."
"Amidst all this, a higher 'being' appeared, and only with this 'being's' presence could the continent have a chance to be saved. The 'being' would become a light that would bring judgment to the darkness and the being will return to the place where he belongs, to his high place," she said.
"Then what do you think of me? Why are you so sure I'm that 'being'?" Aldrian asked.
"I have been on this continent since before the empires were fully established. I have seen and sensed many things. I can even feel the change in energy across the entire continent, except for one place—the Everlasting Silent Forest. After the phenomenon 12 years ago, the energy from the entire continent reacted strongly to the Everlasting Silent Forest, as if responding to a call. I told Elthar about my vision at that time."
"There was also this energy that made me shudder, even though it only appeared for a split second. The unknown energy of an unknown being appeared, and I couldn't help but connect it to the prophecy. I couldn't sense it anymore because it hid itself after that brief moment. At the same time, the Everlasting Silent Forest also began to change its characteristics; it is no longer as dangerous or as closed as it used to be."
"I kept my focus on the forest until one day, I felt that energy again. Although it was minuscule, I sensed it coming out of the forest and moving toward this empire. I couldn't see it, but I could sense it. After that being entered this empire and displayed its energy, I sensed it clearly—the being had arrived. I told Elthar about it, and the next sequence of events unfolded as you experienced them," the spirit explained.
Aldrian, listening to the spirit's answer, understood something and cleared some of his doubts.
"That's why, the first time we met, Grand Duke Sylvaris asked my age and what I did when I came out of the secret realm. They were matching the time she sensed the energy to ensure I was the one she mentioned," he thought.
"I'm 100% sure you are the being mentioned in the prophecy. Your existence itself is beyond my comprehension. Even now, I can feel you integrating your unknown ability with my true body, making my area of blessing also yours. This is absolutely impossible. I am the first World Tree on this continent, and I have the strongest karma to the Heavenly Tree of the World. My area of blessing is blessed by the Heavenly Tree itself, so it can't be disturbed or altered. That leaves only some unknown method of yours, which can only be done by a higher being," she said.
Aldrian felt bad for 'infiltrating' her area of blessing. He knew the spirit in front of him would feel it too, just as Olivia had felt the integration.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, but it's truly a special ability and trait of mine that I can't shake off. So, once again, I'm sorry, but this will be inevitable if I cultivate here."
"No, it's my honor to be a part of you and to be useful to you. You can use me however you wish," she said with a serene expression.
Aldrian nearly slipped, even while sitting. The way she said that line, with such a serene face, was...
"No, Lady Spirit, please don't talk like that. I'm afraid it will cause misunderstandings. But rest assured, I only use your area of blessing and won't take it from you. Oh, and by the way, can you let the World Tree spirit of Balin come to this place? She wants to visit."
The World Tree spirit finally revealed a slight smile and said to him, "That child really likes you. I can sense her spirit waiting outside Evergreen City."
"Is that so? Then can you—" Before he finished his sentence, particles of light formed a silhouette, and the silhouette transformed into Olivia beside the Lady Spirit, smiling at him.
"Oh, you're already here? That was fast," Aldrian said.
"You're truly enjoying your time this time, your exc—"
"Aldrian, I already told you to just call me that. Aren't we already close now? You too, Lady Spirit. You can call me by my name."
Olivia only showed a sheepish smile, and the Lady Spirit bowed her head. They continued talking without any concern for the outside world. From this conversation, Aldrian would learn that his feats in Balin had already spread across the entire continent, and Balin had become the hotspot for this, with some powerhouses coming to check it out.