On the scorched earth ravaged by heavenly fire, Chen Pingchuan was gasping for breath. Although the flames on his body had been extinguished, they still radiated residual heat.
He heard the crisp sound of clapping from a distance. Following the sound with his gaze, he saw a figure slowly emerge from the smoke and dust.
The person was clad in a black robe, its edges embroidered with gold thread that shimmered with a mysterious light in the sun. His face was hidden under a hood, revealing only a pair of dark, profound eyes that conveyed an unfathomable depth. His figure was tall and slender, and every move he made exuded a strange aura, as if he had walked out of the darkness and could vanish back into it at any moment.
Then came the man's condescending invitation.
Perhaps if it had been the real Chen Pingchuan, he might have been fine. But with his mind currently dominated by arrogance, how could he endure such an insult? His anger swelled within him, yet his expression remained as calm as still water.
Chen Pingchuan grinned and agreed without hesitation. "Alright, I'm willing to become a follower of the Divine Tree," he said. "Please take me to see the great Divine Tree right away."
The mysterious man was slightly startled by Chen Pingchuan's response; he hadn't expected him to agree so readily. But he didn't dwell on it. After all, the power of the Divine Tree was immense, enough to make anyone submit.
So, the mysterious man said softly, "Very good. You're not bad. I hope we get along. You'll soon realize what a wise decision you've just made."
Chen Pingchuan wasn't angered by the conceited man. He had already made up his mind. Once I see that damned Divine Tree, I'll fight it if I can win. If I can't, I'll just find a nuke and obliterate it! When have I ever been so humiliated?
Of course, the mysterious man was oblivious to Chen Pingchuan's inner thoughts. With a wave of his hands, the leader of the black-clad men—the one Chen Pingchuan had just defeated—suddenly reappeared, held by the mysterious man like a dead dog. Clearly, he was not so congenial toward losers.
Chen Pingchuan forced himself to stand, with no intention of trying to escape. Not only was it impossible, but his arrogance wouldn't permit him to flee.
"That was an impressive move," Chen Pingchuan said, looking at the man. "By the way, what's your name?"
The mysterious man walked ahead without stopping. Before him, the molten iron from the earlier battle reverted to its original form. This feat was why Chen Pingchuan treated him as an equal. The strong, regardless of their faction, deserved respect.
"Interference with Reality," the man said tersely. "Lan Duoduo."
Chen Pingchuan felt his brain short-circuit. He lifted his head and asked uncertainly, "You're a woman?"
Ten seconds of silence passed before Lan Duoduo spoke.
"A man."
Then, he sighed in exasperation. "Alright, this is too slow. I'm speeding up. Don't resist. You know I don't want to use force on you."
A slight smirk touched Chen Pingchuan's lips. Indeed. He's even more pretentious than I am.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Chen Pingchuan felt a powerful force envelop him, lifting him into the air. At the same time, a giant greatsword materialized beneath Lan Duoduo's feet. With the black-clad leader still in his grasp, Lan Duoduo and Chen Pingchuan stood upon the blade as it shot forward, tearing through the air with a continuous shriek.
During the flight, the scenery below gradually came into view. Small towns were scattered across the landscape, and at the entrance of each, a large pagoda tree was faintly visible. Evidently, these were the towns and villages that had been invaded by the strange trees. Each tree avatar emitted a unique aura, surrounded by ripples of mysterious energy. If Lan Duoduo hadn't been flying them, traversing these towns would have been fraught with obstacles.
Minutes later, they had flown over region after region. Along the way, they could see other forces lingering around some of the Divine Tree avatars. These groups consisted of either scattered Cultivators or small armed factions. They had constructed massive statues of the Divine Tree, carving them with cryptic runes, presumably in preparation for sacrificial rites.
Under Lan Duoduo's guidance, Chen Pingchuan and the captive leader zipped through the various regions like a bolt of lightning. The greatsword beneath them, cloaked in a fierce gale, whistled sharply as it sped past the areas where the Divine Tree avatars grew. The sights of the avatars flashed past their eyes like a flowing scroll. Some were tall and imposing, others lush and leafy, each exuding its own mysterious and unique aura. Some avatars were even surrounded by small altars that glowed with a strange light, where dense crowds of people were performing rituals.
As time went on, they finally arrived at the foot of the Divine Mountain.
Looking up, the Divine Tree on the summit appeared even taller and more majestic, its body emanating a potent aura, as if proclaiming its sanctity and authority to the world.
The three of them slowly descended to the ground, at which point Chen Pingchuan began to cause trouble. He frowned and asked with a look of confusion, "Why don't we just fly up? It would be much faster."
The moment he spoke, Chen Pingchuan felt the air around him thicken, as if an invisible force was pressing down on him.
Lan Duoduo shot Chen Pingchuan an exasperated look and explained, "There's a powerful restriction around the Divine Mountain. We can't fly directly up. We have to pass a series of trials, step by step, to reach the summit. And don't say something like that again, or else..."
Lan Duoduo didn't finish his sentence. Chen Pingchuan knew it couldn't have been anything pleasant, yet he uncharacteristically relented. "Alright, I'll be careful."
Lan Duoduo nodded noncommittally. He was patient because many people had arrived with the same attitude. But once they experienced the boundless might of the Divine Tree, they were all invariably humbled. As for the black-clad leader in his hand, he was simply being recycled.
Lan Duoduo took the lead, and Chen Pingchuan followed closely behind as they began their ascent up the path of the Divine Mountain. Along the way, Chen Pingchuan saw many peculiar creatures, like beings resembling the Tree Spirit Guards from the games of his past life and others similar to the flower sprites from novels. By contrast, the believers dressed in similar robes to Lan Duoduo were the least conspicuous of all.
The only familiar thing to Chen Pingchuan was the piety in their eyes—a look he had seen before in his own flesh puppets.
As they continued their climb, the surrounding scenery grew increasingly fantastical. The rock faces of the mountain seemed to be carved into various shapes, some like coiling dragons, others like phoenixes spreading their wings. In the distance, a waterfall cascaded from the peak, its water crashing against the rocks below and splashing up a dreamlike mist.
Finally, they reached the mountaintop.