Chapter 135 Remains: This World Needs Her
A silence fell over the hall. In fact, Bai Shu had already guessed Bai Ye's intentions when she arrived in a hurry and took action without saying a word.
How could I not understand the child I raised from a young age?
Bai Shu sighed softly, raising her hand to stroke her daughter's head, again and again, just like when she was a child. "If you want to go, then go. But you must promise your mother that you will bring Zhong Jiuli back alive. Okay?"
"Yes." Bai nodded emphatically and promised, "Mother, don't worry, I will definitely come back."
She stood up and summoned the little turtle in her arms and the little fire that had transformed into a jade hairpin. "I have a very important task for you. Can you complete it?"
"What kind of mission is it?" Jiaojiao and Xiaotai asked in unison.
"There are dangers everywhere outside. I'm worried about my mother. Please stay here and protect her for me, okay?"
"No!" Jiao Jiao shook her head without hesitation, "You want to abandon me, don't you?"
“No, I want to go with Yezai.” Taihu also refused.
"You must listen to me. The place I'm going to is very dangerous, and I can't take you with me."
Jiaojiao huffed and puffed, "Hmph! Who are you looking down on? When it comes to fighting, I'm way better than you, you little brat. With me around, you don't know how much safer you'll be."
“In that case, let’s take them with us,” Old Mrs. Bai said, making the final decision. “They can go together, and they can come back together.”
"Then we're leaving, Mother, Great-Grandma." Bai said goodbye to the two of them again, picked up the two little ones, and left Taiwang Palace.
......
Bai also rushed back to the Wilderness State, covered in dust. Originally, she did not want to travel back and forth, but after trying many times, she found that with her current cultivation level, she could not open a safe and stable interdimensional passage. Most importantly, she did not know where she should go.
After searching extensively in the Ancient State, she found no remaining spatial rifts. Not wanting to waste any more time, she took the teleportation array and left the Ancient State, returning to the Wilderness State once more.
When Bai rescued the mother and daughter, he discovered that the spatial rift was not completely sealed. He also wanted to use the opened void passage as a springboard to go beyond Kyushu.
It hadn't been long since she last passed through this place, but the small town had become increasingly desolate and gloomy.
Flocks of carrion crows circled low in the sky, their dark eyes fixed on Bai Ye, the uninvited guest.
Bai also set up a spiritual energy shield around himself to isolate himself from the stench of the outside world. He then landed in the center of the square, waved his hand to remove the seal he had left behind, and waited quietly in place for his prey to come to him.
Black energy continuously seeped out from the spatial rift, and after about half an hour, the dissipated black energy condensed into a void monster.
"Look here." Bai also raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The Void Beast, which had just arrived in this unfamiliar world and was still somewhat confused, was immediately attracted by the crisp sound.
It turned its ferocious head, locked onto its prey, roared, and pounced on Bai Ye with all its might.
Bai remained standing still, and as the other party approached, he casually raised his hand and pressed forward.
The fiercely charging void beast was easily suppressed by that fair palm, lying motionless in front of Bai Ye.
His divine sense reached out and invaded the consciousness of the void beast. In an instant, countless violent and chaotic killing thoughts rushed in, causing Bai to be momentarily dazed.
She shook her head, dispelling the bloodlust, and searched for information about the other world in the consciousness of the void beast.
Unfortunately, it's unclear whether these cross-dimensional Void Beasts were all under a restriction, but just as she saw some blurry images in their sea of consciousness, the Void Beast in her palm exploded with a "poof" sound, turning into a cloud of black mist and dissipating.
Bai frowned slightly and shook his hand in annoyance, "I hate it when you intruders have brains."
【What do we do then? If we can't find the spatial node, we can't find the Void Demons, right?】
"It's fine, we'll just charge straight there," Bai said nonchalantly, mainly because she didn't want to wait any longer.
Every second Zhong Jiuli wastes in Kyushu means another second of loneliness and danger she has to endure alone in a foreign land.
"Sigh, I don't know why the world has developed like this. I was supposed to be helping you with your romance." Xiao Wang sighed, her CPU almost overheating from trying to figure it out.
"In any case, we need to leave Kyushu first. The boundary here is too strong. I can only leave when I get outside." Bai also covered the void rift with his palm and used the power of the void to forcefully open this not-so-stable void passage.
Once the passage was wide enough for one person to pass through, Bai stopped and stepped into the void passage. As she entered, she swung her hand backward, and the power of the void surged out, sealing the spatial rift again to prevent any potential safety hazards.
With their escape route cut off, all that lay ahead was an endless void. Beyond the passage stretched a spatial turbulence capable of swallowing everything in its path.
Bai also stood on this void passage leading to an unknown destination. It was impossible not to feel a little scared, but when she thought of Zhong Jiuli alone in such a world, she felt no fear at all.
With a flap of her wings, she transformed into a streak of light and rushed forward.
The passage was longer than anyone could have imagined. Even with Bai Ye's current cultivation level, after flying at full speed for an hour, he still couldn't see the end.
"Just how far is there between these two realms?" Bai wondered. "Won't Zhong Jiuli and I get lost and unable to find our way back?"
"It's okay!" Jiao Jiao poked her little head out from her arms. "No matter where you go, Jiao Jiao will be with you."
"I'll stay with you even if it's too hot."
"You all hide well and don't come out." Bai pressed the little turtle back into his arms and continued flying forward.
After traveling for an unknown amount of time, the scenery outside the passage began to change. It was no longer a terrifying spatial turbulence, but a surging gray mist.
"Is it finally here? I hope I don't fall into the beast horde as soon as I rush out." Bai prayed silently, suppressing his aura while accelerating towards the exit.
Her speed increased again, like a bolt of lightning, plunging into the gray mist.
The moment Bai burst out of the passage, she felt as if she had fallen into an endless gray ocean. The thick, impenetrable gray fog swallowed her up. This gray fog was very strange; it could not only obscure her vision but also her divine sense.
Bai also felt that he might have come to the wrong place. Although the energy in this gray fog was violent, it was clearly different from the ominous aura on the Void Demon Clan.
Without a second thought, she turned to go back into the passage, but the gray mist churned behind her, and the void passage had vanished.
"Well, now there's absolutely no way out." Bai sighed softly, then looked around. The surrounding gray fog was churning, and the visibility was only about one meter, so he couldn't see anything clearly.
This scene reminded her of a place, the Void that Zhong Jiuli had once mentioned to her.
Before heaven and earth were separated, all things were trapped in chaos. There was no time, no sun or moon, only endless gray fog churning.
Among the books I browsed in the Scripture Pavilion before, there were also records about the Void Land. There is no spiritual energy to replenish here, so it seems I have to conserve my spiritual power.
"Never mind, there's always a way out! We'll just stand here and do nothing, let's go for it!"
Bai also cheered herself up and activated her Golden Eyes of Truth, wanting to see through the gray fog. The result was surprising. The gray fog, which was enough to cover everything, became much thinner in her eyes. Although it was not as clear as it was in the outside world, she could barely see the scenery within a hundred feet.
This discovery put Bai at ease; at least she wouldn't be completely blind here. She concealed her presence and carefully moved through the gray fog.
This place was indeed fraught with danger. With his golden eyes clearing the way, Bai also spotted the strange creatures swimming in the gray fog several times in advance and avoided them with great difficulty.
"The creatures here look so random, don't they?" Bai held her breath, watching another mass of flesh swim past her.
Perhaps because the creatures here don't need to see humans, they look like they're playing around. Some resemble giant jellyfish, dragging countless ferocious tentacles covered in fangs, drifting in the gray mist.
Some, like the ones she had just seen, were lumps of flesh made up of countless eyeballs and mouthparts, rolling around in the gray mist. Bai was worried that if she punched one of them, she would be bitten instead.
There is also a most dangerous being whose body can switch back and forth between ethereal mist and flesh.
Without realizing it, Bai plunged headfirst into the monster's body, then watched helplessly as the flowing gray mist gradually solidified into flesh and internal organs.
She burst forth with almost the fastest speed she had ever experienced, smashing through the monster's flesh and plunging into the gray mist, thus escaping death.
Bai had only been in this gray fog for a few hours when he encountered several dangerous situations. This gives a glimpse into the perilous nature of this place.
"You stinky tiger, I think I've sensed something from the same source as me here," Little Green in my dantian suddenly spoke.
"Hmm? Where is it? On another tree?" Bai asked telepathically.
"I don't know, the feeling is very faint, and it's quite far away. I'll give you directions, let's go that way." Little Green peeked out a green sprout and pointed out the direction to Bai.
"Alright, let's go take a look and see if we can find a way out of here."
With a clear direction, Bai no longer needed to explore aimlessly as before, and his progress became much faster.
This journey lasted for almost half a month. Although they inevitably encountered many strange creatures, there were not many battles. On the rare occasions when they couldn't avoid them, Bai would kill them with a single, swift strike to avoid making too much noise and attracting other monsters to attack.
As the distance closed, Xiao Lü's senses became much clearer, and Bai Ye's speed increased as he flew towards the unknown area.
The gray fog ahead gradually thinned, and at the edge of the field of vision, the outline of a giant wall that seemed to have no end in sight slowly appeared, as if it separated heaven and earth.
"That's it, this is it, you stinky tiger, speed up!" Little Green transmitted his voice.
"You not only hitch a ride without paying, but you're also affecting the driver's driving. We'll kick you off soon."
Despite saying that, Bai flapped her wings much faster and quickly broke through the gray fog. The scene before her left her stunned and speechless.
What blocked their way was not a wall, but a vast and boundless sea of nothingness. On this sea, the unimaginably enormous remains of a giant tree stood silently, like the spine supporting the heavens and the earth.
Most importantly, it is broken, with only the branches and roots anchored there. The upper part of the crown has vanished, and the break is grotesque and terrifying, as if it had been snapped off by a tremendous force.
Almost instantly, Bai thought of the World Tree she had seen before. It had also been broken off, but back then, she had only seen the upper part.
"Xiao Jin, do you recognize this giant tree remnant?" Bai asked in his mind.
"I know him." Xiao Jin's voice was lower than usual, clearly indicating that he wasn't in a good mood.
"Then, is it the World Tree from your world? How did it end up here?"
Instead of answering, Xiao Jin asked, "Young man, how do you think this place, which you call the Land of Nothingness, came into being?"
Bai understood her meaning in an instant, but still asked in disbelief, "You mean, this is the world you live in?"
But she had seen that world before. Although war had shattered the earth, at least there was a sun, grass and trees, mountains and rivers, not the chaotic state it was in now.
“That was a world-destroying war,” Xiao Jin said slowly. “When the war was beyond saving, supreme beings joined forces to shatter that world, turning it into the chaotic ruins you see now.”
"Wait, my mind is a bit confused. Let me sort this out." Bai also tried to sort out the timeline. She had always thought that the scene she saw in the inherited image was the same war as the Nine Provinces War that Zhong Jiuli mentioned.
If that war shattered the original world, where did the present-day Kyushu come from? And how did the human race and other living beings that have thrived on the land of Kyushu survive?
"You stinky tiger, stop spacing out here, let's go over there quickly," Little Green urged, pulling Bai out of his chaotic thoughts.
Bai also came to his senses, putting all those messy things out of his mind and stopping thinking about them. She was just here to find a wife; nothing else mattered.
"Alright, let's go." Bai Ye's back swayed, and he transformed into a streak of light, heading towards the remains of the giant tree.
Once she actually started moving, she realized what it meant to "look at a mountain and run to your death." The giant tree seemed close at hand, but in reality, because of its enormous size, there was an unknown distance between her and the remains.
Bai also flew tirelessly across this void sea for more than ten days before finally getting close to the remains of the giant tree.
As they approached, it took them several more days to climb to the top of the giant tree ruins.
When she actually stood on the remains of this giant tree, an indescribable shock swept over her. This was no tree; it was more like a vast and boundless continent.
The wood beneath their feet was as hard as iron, and the jagged, broken pieces in the distance resembled towering mountain ranges that pierced the gray sky.
Little Green hovered in mid-air, sensing things carefully. After a moment, it said, "Stinky tiger, keep going."
Bai followed behind her, sensing the atmosphere here; the air was filled with an ancient, desolate, and deathly aura.
It should have been terrifying, but Bai Ye inexplicably felt comfortable. The fatigue from traveling for days seemed to have disappeared, replaced by a familiar feeling of finally returning home, like a wanderer returning to his hometown.
The man and the tree flew across this continent for an unknown amount of time. Along the way, Bai also saw many scattered, enormous skeletons. They had survived countless ages without decaying, their bones as clear as jade, with a faint spiritual light flowing across their surfaces. Clearly, they were all extraordinary beings with formidable strength in their lifetimes.
Bai didn't touch the remaining bones. Who knows if there might be any lingering souls left behind in this burial ground? It would be ridiculous if she disturbed a dead soul and it slapped her to death.
They traveled for a long time, until they were close to the central region of the continent, when Little Green finally stopped.
Bai also stopped and looked ahead. There, a huge rock was embedded in the tree trunk, as if it had been forcefully hammered into it, almost becoming one with the trunk. On the rock, the corpse of a white tiger lay prostrate.
The white tiger's eyes were wide open, devoid of any spirit, yet like two golden lamps, radiating an aura of eternal majesty as it looked down upon the two uninvited guests below.
Little Green transmitted its voice: "Stinky Tiger, it looks like your ancestor. Why don't you go over and see what's going on?"
"Are you kidding me? Tigers eat meat, but they don't eat trees. You're the safest one to go there."
Bai didn't want to go over there either. The oppressive feeling brought by the white tiger was too strong. Even though he couldn't feel any life fluctuations, Bai still felt like kneeling down on the spot and shouting "Ancestor above!"
"Don't be afraid, we'll go together. You'll become a little tiger, and even if there's a remnant soul, it definitely won't hurt you," Little Green suggested.
Without much hesitation, Bai transformed back into a fluffy white tiger cub, carrying Jiao Jiao and Xiao Lü on its back, and cautiously took steps, inching closer to the boulder.
As she approached, the white tiger's remains on the boulder indeed stirred slightly. Its golden eyes blinked gently, looking down at the small tiger cautiously approaching below.
"Little one, you're finally back." A gentle yet authoritative young woman's voice rang in Bai Ye's mind.
The little tiger was startled, the fur on the back of her neck standing on end. She let out a howl, looked up, and asked, "Senior... was that you speaking?"
"It's me, silly tiger. Don't you remember me?"
Bai shook his head, a look of confusion in his eyes. "Should I know you?"
“Oh, right.” The white tiger paused, as if just waking up, “You shouldn’t recognize me. You’ve been asleep for too long, and even time has become confused.”
"Senior, do you recognize me? What is my relationship with you?" Bai asked, mustering his courage.
Baihu sighed, "It's nothing, just some old stories, none of it matters anymore."
Her gaze fell on Bai Ye and Xiao Lü, and she said with a sigh, "It's good that you're both back. Go, there's an opportunity for you here."
With that, she swung her giant claw and gently pressed it against the hard tree trunk below.
"Snap!"
With a crisp sound, a crack appeared in the hard tree trunk, and brilliant golden light illuminated the space.
At the center of the tree trunk, a ball of golden sap condensed, flowing slowly like molten gold essence, and the aura emanating from it was even more terrifying.
When Little Green saw the golden liquid, it immediately showed a sad expression. "You stinky tiger, I can sense it. This is her last life essence. She is really about to die."
"Who? The World Tree? Is she still alive?"
"Go on, stop chatting." The white tiger atop the boulder swung its paw, sweeping them directly into the golden liquid.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
With three soft sounds, a tiger, a tree, and a tortoise were all swept away.
After doing all this, Baihu's eyes, which were like golden lamps, dimmed, and a ball of golden light flew out from between her eyebrows and went straight into Baiye's eyebrows.
Bai had just struggled to the surface when she was struck unconscious by the golden light. Countless chaotic images rushed into her mind, which was too much for her current cultivation level to bear.
Xiao Lü and Jiao Jiao were not much better off than her. They were enveloped by the essence of the World Tree, their bodies absorbing this heaven-defying opportunity while also enduring immense pain.
Especially Little Green, most of the golden sap flowed towards her, and the sapling grew taller and bigger at a speed visible to the naked eye. On each emerald green leaf, endless laws flowed, as if it were not a leaf, but a world.
The golden liquid in the crack was rapidly decreasing. Even if it couldn't be completely digested in a short time, all of it flowed into Little Green's body, waiting for her to slowly digest it in the future.
After an unknown amount of time, Bai finally woke up from her deep sleep. She rubbed her head and sat up groggily. The amount of information in her mind was too overwhelming for her to process.
The good news is that it contained a lot of information about the Void Demons, and she finally knew how to get to their lair.
Bai stood up and realized that he was on a huge, emerald green leaf, which emitted a shimmering green light and was full of life.
"Ye Zai, you're awake?" A small, golden turtle flew excitedly to Bai Ye's side, waving its little claws in front of her eyes.
"Look at me! I've broken through!"
Bai nodded, sensing her own condition. She had not directly broken through to a higher realm, but her cultivation had been raised to the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, and she was only one step away from the Great Ascension stage.
The essence of the World Tree is truly extraordinary.
"Where's Little Green?" Bai looked around but didn't see the sapling.
"I'm here." Little Green's voice came from above, ethereal and distant.
Bai Ye and Jiao Jiao looked up at the same time and saw a majestic and towering emerald green divine tree. From the familiar aura, they could tell that it was indeed Xiao Lü, but she had suddenly grown much, much more than they could imagine.
Looking down through the emerald green leaves, you can see that this green tree is rooted in the remains of the World Tree, its canopy lush and covered with huge emerald green leaves, disappearing into the gray mist above.
At first glance, it looks as if the long-dead remains of the World Tree have been revitalized and sprouted new buds.
"You stinky tiger... I can't go with you to find Zhong Jiuli anymore." Xiao Lü's voice rang out again, tinged with sadness and reluctance.
Bai gazed at the giant tree above him, his heart filled with reluctance. "Did you grow together with this World Tree?"
“Hmm,” Little Green replied softly. “I want to save her. Moreover, I can feel that she is the other part of me that I have lost. I am her hope for continuation. So, I want to stay here and truly become one with her.”
Bai opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything else. In the end, he could only nod silently.
She flapped her wings and jumped off the leaf, wanting to thank the white tiger senior again, only to find that the white tiger was no longer on the boulder, and she didn't know where it had gone, or that the white tiger had never existed in the first place.
Little Green extended a section of its root and embedded itself into the boulder. From there, it retrieved a pitch-black stone emanating a chaotic aura and handed it to Bai Ye. "You stinky tiger, this is a Chaos Stone. Take it with you; you'll need it later."
Bai took the Chaos Stone, grinned with his little tiger teeth, and said, "Well... well, I'm leaving, Little Green."
"You stinky tiger and silly turtle, you must protect yourselves. I've left a section of my true form in your dantian. Call me out in a critical moment, and I can save your life," Little Green carefully instructed.
"Okay, don't worry, Xiao Lü, I'll protect Ye Zai well," Jiao Jiao replied.
"Alright, alright, let's not get sentimental anymore. It's not like we'll never see each other again."
Bai waved his claws, pretending to be nonchalant, and led Jiao Jiao, following the method he had learned from his inherited memories, opened the spatial node leading to the Void Demon Clan and stepped inside.
If Bai hadn't forgotten to transform back into human form and instead wiggled his furry little bottom and walked away, Xiao Lü would have really believed that the stinky tiger was so carefree.
Little Green watched the tiger and the tortoise disappear into the distance. She knew that the stinky tiger couldn't bear to part with her, and she couldn't bear to be separated from the stinky tiger either.
But the world needs her.
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