Held in Little Bao's arms, Songsong felt a little scared. He lived here and knew where the dangers lurked. But he had no choice. He was now the pet of the wealthiest man's son. As the saying goes, "Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog." Since he chose to be a pet, he could only brace himself and follow along.
One-Eyed Man and Elder Wu of the Wu Clan were deep in thought. If it weren't for Lin Fan, they definitely wouldn't have made it this far, yet now they were filled with fear. It was truly frustrating. They could have simply chosen to trust Lin Fan. What was the point of reaching the summit anyway?
Lin Fan hoped to encounter strong opponents, spar with them, discover his own shortcomings, and then learn from their strengths to improve further.
"Wow, the scenery is so beautiful!" Little Bao gazed at the distant landscape. They had reached a high vantage point, allowing them to take in the surrounding scenery. For Little Bao, accustomed to city life, this view brought him great joy.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang stopped, admiring the beautiful scenery.
"Indeed."
While others would be trembling with fear in this place, for Lin Fan and his companions, this was a sightseeing trip, an outing with Little Bao. Their purpose from the outset was different. Naturally, their perspective was also different.
Sun Xiao swung his phone around, capturing the surrounding scenery. The viewers in his livestream loved it. Despite their apparent fondness for thrilling events, they were all taking screenshots of the beautiful scenery to use as wallpapers.
Elder Wu said, "Do you remember what we agreed on beforehand?"
"What?" One-Eyed Man asked.
"You're asking knowingly!" Elder Wu was anxious. Was his memory really that bad? It had only been a day, and he had already forgotten. It was truly infuriating.
One-Eyed Man replied, "If you don't explain clearly, how would I know what you're talking about? Just say what you have to say directly. No need to beat around the bush, making it seem like I've wronged you somehow."
Elder Wu stealthily approached One-Eyed Man and whispered, "We agreed earlier to split the final spoils equally. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
They had already come this far. He was filled with hope for the future. In his eyes, Lin Fan was someone who could create miracles. Perhaps, in the end, there truly would be a tremendous reward.
"I haven't forgotten. We have integrity. But honestly, partnering with you isn't reassuring. I'd rather cooperate with this young man. He inspires more trust in me," One-Eyed Man said.
Wu Sheng smiled, his meaning clear: Thank you for the compliment and recognition. I also feel that I'm quite dependable.
"That's natural. My young master is definitely trustworthy," Elder Wu said.
The praise was directed at the young master of his clan, which was no different from praising him. He had to admit… this one-eyed fellow was quite alright.
Elder Wu's only thought was to quickly acquire something from Changbai Mountain while he still could. He feared it would become difficult in the future. The awakening of the mountains and rivers on this planet was far more astonishing than he had imagined.
Many Starry Sky Clans had likely miscalculated. They assumed the initial stages would be insignificant, dispatching a few individuals would suffice. But who could have foreseen the changes in the mountains and rivers? Moreover, there were powerful individuals on this planet. Things wouldn't go as they pleased.
Before long, the Starry Sky Clans would inevitably send their powerful forces, sweeping across all directions. The opportunities left for them would be few. Furthermore, this individual, who remained carefree from beginning to end, would undoubtedly become a major concern for the Starry Sky Clans. They would likely suppress him with swift and decisive action. A bloody battle was inevitable.
The only thing he could do was ensure the Wu Clan didn't get involved.
But he couldn't control everything.
At this moment, a dazzling golden light flickered from afar. It wasn't a killing move, but something so radiant that it dazzled the eyes.
"What's that?"
A golden tree stood there. Its branches and leaves were all gold, radiating a vibrant golden light that represented vitality, yet also exuded a sharp aura.
"Treasure."
They all recognized it. This tree was a treasure. Although it was only a little taller than a person, in their eyes, it seemed like a towering ancient tree, immensely tall.
"Whoosh!"
A faint breathing sound came.
Elder Wu furrowed his brows, his voice deep, "This tree is breathing. It's absorbing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth. Gold represents Geng Metal, the meaning of sharpness. Each leaf trembles slightly, but it seems like a series of sword techniques. What kind of tree is this? I've never seen anything like it."
One-Eyed Man observed the surroundings. He soon noticed the tree's location was peculiar. Scattered around the tree were stones with patterns. Upon closer inspection, the patterns resembled the Daoist Bagua.
He pondered, lost in thought. A bold idea formed in his mind.
"Could it be…"
Unsure, he took out his phone, recorded a video of the tree, and sent it to Liu Haichan, urging him to reply quickly and explain the situation.
Not long after, his phone rang. He answered, and Liu Haichan's excited voice came through.
"Was this discovered in Changbai Mountain?"
"I've seen similar descriptions in ancient texts. In ancient times, Daoist masters possessed various abilities. They deeply understood the principles of heaven and earth, cultivating their bodies, minds, and the Dao of Heaven."
"Based on the videos you sent, I can guarantee this is a Dao Tree. There must have been a powerful Daoist master who cultivated day and night in front of this tree in the past. Over time, the tree absorbed the Daoist Qi, becoming the rare treasure it is today."
"But whether it's truly what I think it is, I need to see the real thing."
"No matter what, it must be brought back. This will be of great help to me."
Liu Haichan was so excited that he was almost incoherent.
One-Eyed Man asked, "Are you sure?"
"Not entirely, but I'm 90% certain," Liu Haichan replied.
For him, these things were like something out of ancient myths. To witness them with his own eyes, everything was worth it.
Click!
One-Eyed Man hung up the phone. He didn't want to hear Liu Haichan's excited rambling.
"Lin Fan, that tree is so pretty," Little Bao said.
His eyes were wide. In just this short period, he had seen strange and wonderful things he had never seen before, and each one was particularly beautiful.
Old Zhang said, "Golden and sparkling, truly beautiful."
The Evil Chicken looked on with curiosity. As an evil creature, he had seen many things, but he had truly never encountered anything like this before. A tree that grew in such a strange way was quite interesting.
Lin Fan said, "Yes, it is indeed quite remarkable, and this tree is very powerful."
"Huh? How can a tree be powerful?" Little Bao was very curious. He had never heard of a tree being powerful before.
Lin Fan stroked Little Bao's head and said, "Don't underestimate anything. Even a tree can be very powerful."
Elder Wu and One-Eyed Man exchanged glances.
They spoke softly.
"What do you think? Who should test this tree?"
"Wait, he just said the tree is powerful. It must have something unique about it. We can't act rashly."
They weren't cowardly. But Lin Fan's words had made them uneasy. Who knew how powerful the tree truly was? So far, they hadn't figured out what Lin Fan's criteria for "powerful" were.
It was truly difficult to understand.
Wu Sheng said, "Elder, I'll give it a try."
Elder Wu looked at him. Full of youthful vigor, he naturally couldn't let him take the risk. If it involved getting close, he would definitely refuse. Then he saw Wu Sheng pick up a stone from the ground and flick it towards the tree, aiming to knock down a leaf.
This method was good. Long-range attack, safe enough.
However, just as the stone was about to touch a leaf, something unexpected happened. The stone instantly shattered, as if crushed by some force.
"This…"
They frowned, having already discerned the problem.
But soon, a sharp aura locked onto them. The leaves of the Dao Tree trembled, and then they saw the leaves secrete a golden aura, condensing into the shape of swords. The moment they formed, an incredibly sharp sword light emanated.
"Young Master, be careful!" Elder Wu exclaimed.
Wu Sheng sensed that the sharp aura was beyond his ability to handle and immediately retreated behind Elder Wu.
The golden sword light swept towards them, turning the scene into a golden ocean. Faintly, they could see a mysterious figure wielding a sword within it. It was the sword intent of a powerful individual who had once cultivated before this tree, absorbed by the tree and accumulated over time, forming this terrifying spectacle.
"Break!"
Elder Wu shouted angrily, pushing forward with a palm. A booming sound echoed, the impact shaking the heavens and earth.
Elder Wu stumbled back a few steps, one hand behind his back, his palm trembling slightly. With his strength, dealing with a mere sword light was naturally not a problem, but a cut appeared on his palm.
The sword light was sharp, possessing a special cutting ability, capable of injuring him with sword intent even as he broke through the sword light.
"This tree is truly extraordinary."
Greed surged within Elder Wu. He had no other intention but to obtain it.
Little Bao exclaimed in surprise, "Lin Fan, did you see that? The tree attacked someone! How did it do that?"
"Unheard of," Old Zhang said seriously.
Lin Fan said, "I know. When I was communing with nature, I learned that everything in the world has a spirit. It's protecting itself. After all, he threw a stone at it."
"That makes a lot of sense," Old Zhang nodded.
Hearing their conversation, Elder Wu wanted to explode on the spot.
What the heck!
Whose side are you on?
Although what you said seems reasonable, no matter what, we're on the same team. Isn't our goal to obtain this magical tree?
At this moment, due to Sun Xiao's livestream, many powerful viewers were green with envy. They came here to acquire valuable items, but they hadn't had a smooth journey, let alone any gains. They could only watch helplessly as those in the livestream made discoveries everywhere.
Their mentality was about to crumble.
They also wanted to go there.
But their strength didn't allow it.
If they encountered danger, their lives would be at risk.
They had hoped to watch Sun Xiao's livestream to keep track of their every move, but the others were already well aware. With just a glance, they saw it was all a trap. How could they fight?
From beginning to end, they couldn't even keep up.
Just tell me, isn't it infuriating?
Lin Fan walked towards the golden Dao Tree. As he approached, the Dao Tree seemed to sense a formidable enemy, its leaves rustling.