"Right, a quick note, even if I allowed for your existence in the void, the strain would be too great for a human, so don't push yourself."
"It's fine, I won't have any issues in the short term." Bai Cha pondered for a moment, then neatly arranged the world bubbles that trapped them, categorizing them with care as she calculated who to rescue first.
"Aren't you in a hurry? The energy transmitted from that demiplane is pure negative energy, and they will all have a significant impact," the World Tree expressed its confusion. "If you get lost, you won't be able to return."
"I will naturally go and help, but I'm too strained working alone." Bai Cha arranged the last world bubble, thinking, "Which world bubble did Meng Qinghuan run off to?"
Amidst tens of thousands of world bubbles, Bai Cha swiftly filtered through them.
The World Tree was truly miraculous. Bai Cha could see its trunk, woven from thick vines, extending countless small branches that reached out in all directions. From time to time, new world bubbles would emerge from the vines, then detach and evolve.
This was a grandeur and wonder that words couldn't describe, the so-called truth of the world that those mad scientists pursued their entire lives.
Everything was alive; it was as if every world bubble was a cell, and every cell, every molecule, was alive, evolving into countless possibilities. Even Bai Cha, upon witnessing the scene before her, couldn't help but feel a profound sense of awe.
The surrounding space was enveloped in thick, hazy, and illusory clouds. The colossal main trunk stretched infinitely upward and downward, its ends lost in the dense white mist. Or, more accurately, it was a riot of colors that coalesced into white.
Before the World Tree, even Bai Cha, with all her pride, had to admit her own insignificance.
Was it like an ant encountering an elephant?
No, perhaps not even an ant, perhaps just a speck of dust, or maybe just a molecule in size?
"What do you wish to know? However, I cannot guarantee that I can answer all your questions; some things are not meant for beings like you to pry into," the World Tree spoke. "But I can satisfy your curiosity to some extent."
"Of course not, let's forget it. I'm not interested in the mysteries of the world. You know, I'm not an ambitious person." Bai Cha waved her hand, her eyes holding a deeper meaning. "What I want to know is about the prophecy your will transmitted to the world."
"I don't understand. The world I inhabit is merely a branch of the World Tree, and the Dragon Mother's demiplane should be targeting you." Bai Cha stroked her chin. "So, am I, this world branch, the only one who has received your warning prophecy? Or have all worlds received your alert?"
She was contemplating and guessing. Her last appearance had been dangerous and hasty; she had only managed a fleeting glance. This time, however, she had ample time to linger and ponder everything.
"Let me explain it this way: the thoughts of each person, each story, can split off into a new world. And this new world will then further split based on the notions of each of you. This is what you refer to as parallel worlds."
"And these parallel worlds are parts of each person's mind. The best way to corrupt a person is to corrupt their mind, starting with a portion of it."
"But you must also step forward. It's like a drop of ink falling into water; it will slowly diffuse until it infects the entire world, including the past and future of your world, and then it will infect all of me."
"Hmm... one more question, there's more than just your plane, right?" Bai Cha asked, puzzled.
"Of course, there are naturally numerous different planes. We maintain connections and contact with each other, so it is possible that we sometimes draw humans from our respective spaces to resolve troubles in our own timelines."
So, this is what they call transmigration?
Bai Cha blinked her eyes. Being intelligent, she didn't voice her thought, acutely sensing that if she put it into the common, simple terms of humans, it might offend the World Tree.
After all, it was her creator; she ought to show it some respect.
"That fellow's objective is very clear. It is neither as vast as I am nor as powerful as I am, so it has decided to corrupt one world first," the World Tree said earnestly.
"Just like your Earth thousands of years ago, if you truly courted disaster and used those strange weapons you researched to destroy your branch, then I could only let you perish, severing your branch to let Earth disappear in the universe."
"But why can't you directly eliminate this threat?" Bai Cha still couldn't quite understand. "When facing a dog that's about to bite you, do you send out your body's cells to deal with it?"
"…Your analogy is quite inspired." The World Tree was speechless for a while.
"Thank you for the compliment." Bai Cha shrugged, feeling no shame at all.
"I was not complimenting you. You, like the humans before you, talk too much, even though you all know these questions are meaningless." If the World Tree had a face, it would have given Bai Cha a massive eye-roll at that moment.
"Fine, it wouldn't hurt to explain it to you. A demiplane needs to devour to sustain its existence, much like animals need to eat constantly to avoid starving; they cannot live on soil alone.
We are different; we are true, perfect planes. We give birth to worlds, connect the past and future, and split into different consciousnesses, which then split into different worlds.
The birth of every world or life brings us new strength, and the demise of every world returns as power to us. And finally, we nurture you. It's a perfect cycle."
"The universe is like land, and you have evolved into trees that can grow on their own. Your fruits can also become fertilizer or help you absorb nutrients," Bai Cha realized with sudden clarity.
"Clever." The World Tree praised her.
"Wouldn't there be humans who try to attack or replace you?" Bai Cha asked. "Based on what you've said, I shouldn't be the first to appear before you."
The World Tree fell silent again. If it had a body, it would have stiffened at that moment.
Bai Cha was indeed not the first to appear before it, but she was the first to actively seek it out.
There was a significant difference between the two. Normally, the World Tree would proactively choose a human to bear responsibility and then bring that person before it. Bai Cha was the first to force its hand.
"Several of our planes have encountered such issues. Humans are like that, often finding it difficult to maintain reason under temptation.
But the disparity here is too vast. Your so-called 'world-destroying' is merely a branch, whereas you can see me, and I am not something humans can contend with.
Even the most brilliant human cannot surpass the power of a plane that is billions of years old or even older in a short period, unless they become independent."
"Oh..." Bai Cha raised an eyebrow, her expression carrying a strange smile. "Is that so?"
The World Tree [...]
The more Bai Cha smiled, the more the World Tree felt guilty. It felt as though its incessant chatter had inadvertently led Bai Cha to uncover its secrets. It quickly changed the subject.
"In any case, I believe you will clear out that demiplane, as this is your world. I will do my best to help you. And you don't like doing unnecessary and meaningless things. Some people crave eternal life, while others cast it aside like worthless rags. You are correct; rather than a tool, perhaps 'partner' is a better fit."
"I apologize; there is indeed an element of using you. But I truly wouldn't abandon you unless it was absolutely unavoidable. Even I cannot stand idly by when it comes to the life I have created."
The words sounded rather heartfelt. Bai Cha wondered if it was her imagination, but within this final wisp of will, she actually perceived many emotional fluctuations.
"...Alright, alright, I won't pursue it further. Let's get down to business." Bai Cha hadn't intended to blame it anyway. With the World Tree's attitude, Bai Cha couldn't possibly continue to pursue the matter. She merely shifted her gaze back to those world bubbles, her delicate fingers sliding up and down, finally stopping at one.
When these world bubbles were invaded by external spiritual energy, the World Tree had already forcibly sealed them. This was effortless for it.
Dust filled the air.
A ground littered with ruins and severed limbs bore witness to what had transpired here. A young boy struggled to move large stones amidst the rubble, his delicate face contorted in a grimace.
It seemed as though a great battle had just occurred here, with trees so devastated they had almost lost their vitality from the bombardment.
"Ouch~~ My poor back." Meng Qinghuan groaned as he pulled himself up from the碎石 (suì shí - broken stones).
He had appeared from mid-air and fallen, landing him in a dusty mess. Even his smooth head, where a mosquito could have tripped, was now covered in a layer of grime.
"Idiot." A fluffy white little head poked out from Meng Qinghuan's embrace, its voice soft. It was Bai Meng.
Despite Meng Qinghuan being covered in dust, Bai Meng in his arms was protected perfectly, even its pristine short hair was neat.
"Boom!" A deafening sound exploded in the air. Scarlet lightning and dark green energy collided, the resulting shockwave causing the very ground to tremble.
"Whoa~" Meng Qinghuan was startled, taking two steps back with Bai Meng in his arms, patting his chest with lingering fear. "Oh dear~ You scared me to death... Little Bai Meng, don't look at me like that. I'm not even fifty yet. As my little dragon, you need to understand me~"
Bai Meng remained silent. She spent her days with Meng Qinghuan and had long grown accustomed to his unserious, foolish demeanor. After all, the relationship between resonating entities was largely shaped according to the host's desires.
For instance, Mo Ziye needed a brother, Bai Cha needed an assistant, while Meng Qinghuan's counterpart was his sister.
"Dad! Are you there! You're not going to die, are you? Say something to me!" the boy on the ruins roared, his fingers bleeding. He knelt amidst the debris, roaring in despair, "My sister and I are waiting for you, you can't die!"
The place was shrouded in darkness, with a dark red sky portending an ominous crisis. In the distance, a man's figure flickered in and out of sight. He was battling a strange, colossal dragon, wielding dark red chains like agile serpents.
Meng Qinghuan and Bai Meng looked up, sensing the source of the energy, and both stiffened.
They were too familiar with the man fighting, the spirited man! Majestic and powerful, before Bai Cha established the Shadow, this man and his wife were the spiritual pillars and the core strength of the entire Shadow.
"Ye... Ye Ye..." Meng Qinghuan was too shocked to recover for a long time. Bai Meng wasn't much better. They were both core members of the Shadow, and of course, they could tell that the environment they were in was not an illusion, but a real world.
The rumbling sound grew fainter as Ye Feng, locked in combat with the evil dragon, lured it further away. A cold wind howled past, leaving only the boy's despairing roar in the entire world. He was still struggling to move stones, his eyes bloodshot.
"What now?" Bai Meng, nestled in Meng Qinghuan's arms, said dejectedly, "It seems we've… returned to the past."
Her strength and soul were incomplete, making sustained action difficult, but her mental power and eyesight were sharper than an eagle's. Meng Qinghuan was her legs, and she was Meng Qinghuan's eyes. In that sense, they were indeed a perfect match.