The Jade Rabbit sets in the west, and the morning sun rises slowly from the east.
Zhou Yuanyuan began a new round of cultivation. During the time when the sun and moon alternated, wisps of white mist began to emerge from the crown of Zhou Yuanyuan's tree.
As usual, the old tree demon took a breath of the white mist coming from Zhou Yuanyuan and immediately became more energetic.
The old tree demon was amazed at the small tree that occasionally emitted white mist. In its twelve thousand years of life, this was the first time it had seen a small osmanthus tree like Zhou Yuanyuan. Without food or water, simply standing in the sun and stretching its body, it could gradually grow taller and stronger.
After all, it's a tree species that fell from the sky! It's much stronger than these native osmanthus trees! The old tree demon sighed more than once.
Six years ago, a small osmanthus seed fell from the sky and landed in their osmanthus forest. Four years ago, the seed in the ground gradually sprouted and grew into a wilted little tree.
Three years ago, the little osmanthus tree was half dead, with only a dozen sparse leaves on its head, and it looked like it was about to die. Now, the little osmanthus tree has grown more than twice as tall as before, and its branches are covered with emerald green leaves.
Not only that, a wisp of milky white mist would emerge from the small osmanthus tree from time to time. As its neighbor, it would take a breath or two from time to time, and suddenly it felt that its waist and legs were no longer sore... cough cough cough, I'm wrong, the leaves were no longer yellow, and it no longer felt hungry even if it didn't eat or drink.
"Little girl, little girl." The old tree demon couldn't help but call out to Zhou Yuanyuan out of curiosity. This was the first time the old tree demon had spoken to Zhou Yuanyuan since she had let the little white rabbit go three years ago.
"I'm here! What's the matter?" Zhou Yuanyuan took a moment to answer the old tree demon's words despite her busy schedule.
"Can you teach me how to make this white mist?" The old tree demon thought for a moment before finally speaking. This white mist is truly a good thing! One breath of it can keep you from going hungry for days. If it could also make white mist, then the children in the tribe wouldn't have to go hungry.
When the old tree demon first lived here, there were many animals in this forest, and the laurel clan had no shortage of food. However, in recent years, the number of animals in the forest has been decreasing, and these trees cannot move. Relying solely on hunting, the laurel clan is facing extinction.
"Isn't the amount of white energy I give you every day enough?" Zhou Yuanyuan was a little impatient. Because the old tree demon had helped her in the past, Zhou Yuanyuan would spray a few breaths of spiritual energy for the old tree demon to absorb every few days. She had never expected the old tree demon to be so greedy. Even though he was no longer hungry, he still wanted more spiritual energy.
"No, no, little girl, thank you for your white air. It has kept me from going hungry these past few years. I was thinking that if I could also make white air and let the children breathe a few times a day, things wouldn't be so difficult for everyone." The old tree demon told Zhou Yuanyuan his plan honestly. What the old tree demon said was true. In the past few years, as fewer and fewer animals passed through this forest, the osmanthus trees often starved and wilted. Even the strong middle-aged tree demon was losing strength. Now the patriarch of the osmanthus clan has become the old tree demon again. Who let the old tree demon have a good neighbor!
The old tree demon had lived for so many years, yet its vision was still very experienced. The white energy Zhou Yuanyuan gave it looked very much like the "spiritual energy" passed down by the osmanthus clan. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the osmanthus clan's cultivation methods had been lost since they took root in this land. In the old osmanthus tree's memory, they could only survive by sucking the flesh and blood of animals. The old osmanthus tree had lived for over 10,000 years, and had eaten millions of animals.
If they could learn Zhou Yuanyuan's method and maintain the energy they need to survive without hunting, the old tree demon felt that this would be a golden path. After all, their osmanthus clan belonged to the ancient immortal trees, so they should be able to cultivate!
"Okay... Okay! But I don't even know if this method is right! Don't blame me if anything bad happens." Zhou Yuanyuan was touched to see that the old tree demon wasn't asking for the cultivation technique for himself. Honestly, Zhou Yuanyuan had seen many selfish people who were eager to grab any good thing they saw, but none as selfless as this old tree, who even breathed in the white air and thought about the younger generation of the clan.
"Thank you, little girl. I thank you on behalf of the osmanthus clan." The old tree demon sincerely thanked Zhou Yuanyuan. If it weren't for this clever little osmanthus tree, their clan would all starve to death in a few years. They were really grateful to Zhou Yuanyuan for sharing her cultivation techniques and prolonging their lives.
Zhou Yuanyuan remained silent as she told the old tree demon how to absorb the green specks of sunlight. As for the method of absorbing moonlight, Zhou Yuanyuan kept it a secret for now. After all, she didn't know if these methods were correct. Besides, the old tree demons could survive just by absorbing the tiny green specks of sunlight.
In the days that followed, Zhou Yuanyuan worked even harder. She missed home, her mother, her father, her brother, her grandfather, Wen Ziqing, her uncle and aunt, and her cousins. Sometimes she even wondered if she could only live as a tree for the rest of her life. Would she regret not responding to Wen Ziqing's feelings for her?
Zhou Yuanyuan wasn't just a teenager; at heart, she was a mature woman. Wen Ziqing's eyes were always warm and tinged with longing, so how could she not understand his feelings for her? However, her previous marriage had been a failure, and despite Wen Ziqing's unabashed expressions of love, she dared not respond. In this life, Zhou Yuanyuan was a cultivator, a cultivator capable of living for hundreds of years. If she had reciprocated Wen Ziqing's feelings, the end result would have been nothing but separation and death!
Zhou Yuanyuan felt conflicted. On the one hand, she longed for Wen Ziqing to treat her well, but on the other, she feared he would treat her too well. She felt unworthy of Wen Ziqing. He was an innocent young man, while she, on the other hand, was an old demon with a broken heart. Perhaps... she was destined to live a life of solitude.
The practice process was too boring. Zhou Yuanyuan was daydreaming while practicing, and time kept passing by.
During the days that followed, Zhou Yuanyuan never saw a single person. Without seeing anyone, she couldn't determine where she was, or even what era she was in.
Recalling the time-travel dramas she'd seen on television in later life, Zhou Yuanyuan felt a little uneasy. She wasn't afraid of arriving in an unfamiliar environment, but rather that her loved ones wouldn't be there.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
