Wu Ling's coquettish voice rang out once more, pulling Teng Lin's attention back. "Big brother, why are you just standing there? Come closer already!"
Teng Lin sighed, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and reluctance. "Alright, alright, I'm here."
Her giggle resonated warmly, and as Teng Lin stepped forward, something extraordinary happened. The enormous tree that had towered over the valley began to shrink. Teng Lin stopped in his tracks, stunned. The once-massive Five Element Dao Fruit Tree adjusted its size gracefully, its imposing height and vast canopy contracting until it stood just slightly shorter than him.
"W-what just happened?" Teng Lin stammered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
The now smaller Wu Ling stretched her slender, colorful branches toward him. They opened like welcoming arms, and before Teng Lin could react, they wrapped gently around him in an embrace. He flinched instinctively, but as the smooth bark touched his skin, he felt a profound calm settle over him. The world seemed to fade, and for a brief moment, it was as if all his worries and fears dissolved into nothingness.
Behind him, Su Xianyu watched in stunned silence. His sharp mind raced as he struggled to process what he was witnessing. She can manipulate her size at will? Even Mahayana cultivators are bound by the spatial limitations of their physical form. They might project spiritual manifestations, but this… this is something else entirely. Is this a unique trait of the Mahayana realm, or is this tree truly beyond my understanding?
While Su Xianyu was lost in thought, Wu Ling's voice broke the silence, brimming with affection. "Ahh, big brother, I've missed you so much. I'm so happy we're together again!"
Teng Lin's thoughts, however, were less harmonious. What is this system trying to do to me? What if she has memories that I'm supposed to have and realizes I'm not her actual big brother?
As if responding to his unease, the familiar ding of the system echoed in his mind. "Host, you are fine. No need to worry about the things this system gives you."
Teng Lin breathed a sigh of relief at the system's reassurance, though his reprieve was short-lived. Wu Ling's voice chimed again, this time with a playful pout. "Big brother, though I love your smell, the mortal world has tainted it far too much. Why haven't you taken a bath yet?"
Before he could respond, Wu Ling began to grow once more, lifting Teng Lin effortlessly with her branches.
"W-wait! What are you doing?" he exclaimed, startled.
"Helping you, of course," she replied nonchalantly. With a gentle motion, she placed him into the silvery moat.
The moment his body touched the water, a strange sensation enveloped him. Warmth spread through his limbs, quickly turning into an unbearable heat. Teng Lin's eyes widened as searing pain coursed through him, as though fire and countless crawling insects were devouring him from the inside out. He tried to turn toward Wu Ling, to ask what was happening, but his words were lost in a bloodcurdling scream.
"Big brother!" Wu Ling called, her voice still calm, almost teasing.
Bubbles rose to the surface as Teng Lin's body sank deeper into the moat. Above, a puddle of black filth began to rise, spreading across the silvery water before evaporating into nothingness.
Su Xianyu, watching from the shore, felt his heart clench in horror. The sight of Teng Lin sinking, combined with the rising blackness, filled him with dread. He rushed forward, shouting at Wu Ling, "You! What are you doing to him? He could die! We don't even know what's in that water or how much his body can handle!"
As if to confirm his fears, a red stain appeared on the water's surface—blood.
"So much blood," Su Xianyu muttered, his voice trembling. "Did his blood vessels rupture? Is he dying?"
Wu Ling's voice rang out again, serene yet tinged with a hint of condescension. "How can my big brother die here of all places? There is so much life here, and not a single threat in sight."
Su Xianyu's eyes burned with rage as he turned to face her. "You are the threat!" he snarled, readying himself for a fight.
But Wu Ling merely laughed, her voice carrying a regal authority. "What can you, a mere human, do to someone as magnificent as me? If I wanted to kill you, I could have done it back in that tiny village."
Her energy surged, and in Su Xianyu's sight, she grew to an impossible height, towering into the sky. The sheer weight of her presence pressed down on him, forcing him to his knees. But as quickly as the illusion appeared, it vanished, and Wu Ling returned to her normal size.
Her voice turned stern, yet still playful. "However, since you seem to care for my big brother, I will tell you this: this is his land. How could he possibly die here?"
The rhetorical question left Su Xianyu stunned. Her tone carried such an undeniable sense of truth that he hesitated, his anger dissipating into uncertainty. What's done is done, he thought bitterly. I might as well wait and see what happens.
Inside the moat, Teng Lin's world was nothing but agony. The heat within him grew unbearable, his body feeling as though it was being torn apart. The pain was so overwhelming that he felt his consciousness slipping, the edges of his vision darkening.
Just as he was about to surrender to the void, a pulse surged through him. It was faint but soothing, like a gentle breeze amidst a raging storm. The pain eased slightly, and for a moment, his mind cleared.
What was that? Teng Lin thought, his mind grasping at the sudden relief.
He tried to move, to swim upward, but his body refused to respond. As despair began to creep back in, another pulse washed over him, this time stronger. The pain dulled further, and his thoughts became clearer.
Outside the moat, Su Xianyu felt the pulse as well. His sharp senses detected its source—the strange mound in the center of the valley. As the pulses grew stronger, a realization struck him.
Is that… thing saving Teng Lin?
Inside the moat, Teng Lin floated in a sea of pain and confusion. He had no sense of how much time had passed. The burning, crawling agony still consumed him, but every time he was on the brink of losing consciousness, the mysterious pulse would return, bringing a sliver of clarity and a faint comfort.
With each pulse, he felt a connection forming, as if the rhythm of the pulse was syncing with his very being. Slowly, it began to weave through his body, creating a harmonious beat that resonated within his core. The unbearable pain began to ebb, and the sensation of drowning was replaced by a strange calm. Though his body still refused to move, he could feel the pulse strengthening him, guiding him, and giving him hope.
What is this pulse? Teng Lin wondered. Is this the tree's doing? Or something deeper within this valley?
As time passed, his moments of clarity grew longer, and the feeling of passing out became less frequent. His mind steadied, and for the first time since being submerged, he felt a faint spark of control returning to his body.
Outside the moat, Su Xianyu stood on edge, his arms crossed as he monitored the situation. His nervous countenance from earlier had eased slightly. Though he was still wary of Wu Ling, the steady presence of Teng Lin's life force reassured him.
It's been an hour, Su Xianyu thought. No ordinary mortal could survive underwater for this long, let alone endure whatever that strange water is doing to him. That pulse… it must be the reason he's still alive.
His eyes flickered to the strange mound in the center of the valley, the source of the pulse. What is that thing? Is it connected to Wu Ling, or is it something else entirely?
As Su Xianyu continued to ponder, Wu Ling's branches trembled faintly, and her voice broke his train of thought.
"Ehh," she said, her tone shifting from playful to sharp. "Two more humans are approaching my big brother's land. One of them… even seems to have taken some of his treasure. This crime is deserving of death."
Su Xianyu's heart sank. He turned to Wu Ling, his mind racing. Two humans? Taken a treasure? The realization hit him like a lightning bolt. "Wait… two humans? One of them took something? That has to be—Chen Bo and Wei Jian!"
He opened his mouth to reason with Wu Ling, but before he could speak, her aura surged. Waves of oppressive energy rippled out from her, carrying a chilling sense of authority. Su Xianyu immediately called out in alarm, "Stop! Those should be Teng Lin's friends!"
Wu Ling paused, her branches shifting slightly as if in thought. "Ehh?" she said, her tone curious but skeptical. "Why do so many humans think they can get close to my big brother? I will decide if they deserve to be his friends."
Before Su Xianyu could respond, the oppressive aura subsided. A moment later, two figures appeared, floating in the air above the valley.