115. World Tree

At the same time Zhang Xiao arrived at Davor, Zhong Yun also landed on "Qiyun Star." Having heard from Zero that the base had been harassed by pirates, Zhong Yun had been somewhat worried, uncertain if the damage was severe.

To his relief, upon arriving at the base, he found it completely intact, showing no signs of destruction.

Returning to the base felt different this time. Looking at the subjects who had come to welcome him, Zhong Yun experienced a strange and novel sensation. These subjects were of the same yellow-skinned race as him—men and women, young and old, all wearing standardized uniforms. Each person had a number on their chest, which looked rather jarring. However, Zhong Yun had no time to spare for them; he had more important matters to attend to, and after watching for a while, he left.

"Are you ready?" In the main control room, Zero’s expression, which never seemed to change, appeared slightly tense.

"No." Zhong Yun shook his head. He flexed his knuckles and adjusted his breathing, waiting to reach his peak state.

In front of him lay the box. It was pure white, as if carved from a single piece of white jade. He had found it strange at first; he remembered that when he had just retrieved it, the box was a pale yellow, but after a few days, the color had faded entirely. The box was an irregular polyhedron, and Zhong Yun knew that each of these flat surfaces could be pushed in or pulled out.

Zhong Yun finally made his move. He picked up the white box and pressed firmly on the largest surface. With a *click*—four minutes and forty-one seconds later, accompanied by another crisp sound, the pure white box split open, revealing a jade-green sphere the size of half a fist.

"What is this? An immortal pill?" With the task of opening the box successfully completed, Zhong Yun hadn't even had a chance to rejoice before a massive question arose in his heart.

As soon as he saw the green sphere, his eyes seemed glued to it, unable to look away. The pearl was so pure in its green hue that it seemed to contain infinite mysteries. After watching for a while, Zhong Yun’s consciousness began to blur. He was startled and quickly looked away, not daring to gaze at it any longer. "This thing is a bit eerie."

"Place it in the lake at the center of the base," Zero’s voice sounded. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he could hear a hint of urgency in the tone.

Zhong Yun felt a shiver run through him. Not daring to delay, he held the green sphere, ran off the spaceship, and headed straight for the lake in the center of the base.

"How do I place it?" Standing at the edge of the lake, Zhong Yun looked at the green sphere in his hands, feeling a bit bewildered.

"Throw it into the lake," Zero’s instructions arrived just in time.

Zhong Yun exerted some force and tossed the eerie green sphere into the water. With a soft *plop*, the sphere created a small ripple on the calm surface of the lake before sinking to the bottom.

"What exactly is this thing?" Zhong Yun felt quite frustrated. After working so hard for so long, he still didn't know what it was for.

"That is the seed of the World Tree," Zero’s voice replied once more.

"The World Tree?"

***

In Mingzhou City on the planet of Wall.

"It’s been a full semester. Why hasn't A-Yun returned yet? Even if he was going for special training, it shouldn't take seven months," Tian Hai said, walking down a tree-lined path, stepping on the soft fallen leaves while counting the days on his fingers.

Ever since Zhong Yun left to report to school seven months ago, he hadn't seen him again. The two had played together since childhood and had never been separated for so long, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Huh?" After walking for a while, Tian Hai caught a glimpse of a familiar figure and couldn't help but feel curious. Why was he here?

"Old Man Yang!" Tian Hai hurried forward to greet him.

The man was none other than Yang Siqing, who had stayed at Zhong Yun’s home for a while. He glanced at Tian Hai, paused for a moment, and then recalled that he was Zhong Yun’s good friend. A flash of sorrow crossed Yang Siqing’s eyes at the mention of Zhong Yun.

"Oh, it's you," his expression softening. "I heard you were admitted here, but I haven't run into you."

"Are you teaching here as well, Old Man Yang?" Tian Hai asked in surprise, noting that his attire looked like that of a teacher.

"I’ve been here for nearly a year," Yang Siqing replied, checking the time. "I have a meeting to attend, so I must be going."

"Goodbye." Tian Hai had intended to ask which grade he taught, but seeing he was in a hurry, he didn't pursue it.

Yang Siqing walked a few steps, then paused and stopped. "I am very sorry about Zhong Yun's death." With that, he walked away quickly.

Tian Hai scratched his head, feeling confused. Why was the old man acting so strange? What did he mean by "Zhong Yun's death"...

The sentence struck him like a bolt of lightning, shattering a mystery that had long existed in his mind. At the same time, it left his hands and feet icy cold. A strong, ominous feeling rose in his heart.

"Old Man Yang! Old Man Yang!" Tian Hai took off running in the direction Yang Siqing had disappeared, shouting loudly, "What exactly happened to A-Yun?"

Yang Siqing was already long gone. There were only a few pedestrians on the path, and seeing him suddenly acting like a madman, they all stepped aside.

What happened to A-Yun?

Yang Siqing’s words hung like a massive dark cloud over Tian Hai’s heart; his sense of unease grew increasingly intense.

Chen Wen must know something. Thinking of Chen Wen’s unnatural reactions whenever A-Yun was mentioned, Tian Hai was certain that he knew the truth.

He found Chen Wen in his dormitory. Seeing him standing at the door, dripping with sweat and with a tense face, Chen Wen asked in surprise, "What’s wrong? Are you being hunted?"

Tian Hai walked into the room and sat straight down on a chair. He stared intently at Chen Wen. "Xiao Wen, tell me the truth: what exactly happened to A-Yun?"

The smile on Chen Wen’s face vanished in an instant. Deep in his eyes lurked a hint of sorrow.

Tian Hai’s pupils constricted. He felt like an enraged lion, every hair on his body standing on end. He asked, trembling, "Could it be... did A-Yun really..."

Chen Wen turned his head, unable to bear seeing him in such agony. He let out a soft sigh. "Since you already know, I won't hide it from you." A desolate smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "A-Yun... he was also on that ship, the *Tongguang Star*."

Silence.

Not a single sound could be heard in the entire room. The atmosphere was so thick with sorrow that it made breathing difficult. Chen Wen could not stand the stifling weight and left the room. He could understand Tian Hai’s feelings. When he had first heard the news five months ago, he had been just as shocked, disbelieving, and devastated.

What about Liu Yunqi? How would she react to this news?

***

In the Yang household in Mingzhou City.

Yang Bingchang was a refined middle-aged man who, from his appearance, looked less than forty. He was fair-skinned and very handsome. Yang Yunrong looked like he had been cut from the same cloth.

At this moment, the helm of the Yang family—the most powerful person in all of Davor—stood before his daughter’s courtyard, his brows locked in a deep furrow, as if grappling with a great difficulty.

He was worried. His daughter hadn't stepped out of her courtyard for five full months. Even standing outside, one could still feel the bone-chilling cold emanating from within.

He had heard long ago that his daughter was dating an ordinary, poor boy. He hadn't intentionally opposed it; of course, he wouldn't intentionally support it either. His daughter was still young, and it was just a romance; there was no need to make a fuss. He had simply adopted a "let it be" attitude.

But the development of events had caught him off guard. His daughter, who had always been assertive since she was young, had actually locked herself away for five months because of that boy’s death.

He had initially thought it was just a little girl playing house; at her age, what was so strange about having a crush? He hadn't expected her to be so stubborn. As far as Yang Bingchang knew, she and that boy had been together for at most a year. How deep could a relationship be in such a short time?

Regardless, he could not let his daughter remain immersed in pain; he had to pull her out of the shadow of grief as soon as possible. Perhaps he should introduce her to some sensible, interesting young men?

"Xiao Qi, it's Dad." Thinking this, Yang Bingchang entered the courtyard and knocked on the door.

The door creaked open. Yang Bingchang gave a hearty smile. "Aren't you going to come out and welcome your father?"

As he entered, he saw his daughter sitting in a chair, staring intently at a pale blue crystal pendant in her hand. One end of the pendant was wrapped around her slender, elegant finger, and the charm hung before her, spinning naturally.

The pendant was an oval tag with a photo on each side. One was of her, and one was of him.

As the pendant spun, their photos appeared alternately. With the speed of the rotation, their images sometimes seemed to overlap, and at other times, they drifted so far apart that they felt as if they were in two different planes of existence.

"So this is Zhong Yun? The young man looks quite spirited," Yang Bingchang said, sitting down next to her.

Liu Yunqi maintained her posture, as if she didn't know someone had entered the room.

Yang Bingchang sighed silently. It seemed she was still sealed within her own world. If this weren't handled properly, he feared it would cause significant damage to her mental state.

He had come prepared this time. "I heard that a survivor from the *Tongguang Star* has returned." With that, he watched his daughter’s reaction.

Liu Yunqi’s body shuddered. The suspended pendant stopped on the photo of Zhong Yun. For the first time since Yang Bingchang entered the room, she looked at her father. "What you said... is it true?" Her voice was like a fragile piece of porcelain, so delicate it was heartbreaking.

"Yes," Yang Bingchang nodded. "He is currently with the border defense forces on the southeast frontier and will be brought back to Wall tomorrow."

"I want to see him," Liu Yunqi said with an unshakable firmness.

Yang Bingchang nodded in silence.

***

"The World Tree? What is that?" On the other side, on "Qiyun Star," the oblivious Zhong Yun, who hadn't returned home yet, was full of confusion.

Just as he asked the question, the ground shook. Caught off guard, he nearly fell on his backside and had to grab a nearby tree to steady himself.

"Was that... an earthquake?" Zhong Yun looked around, feeling uneasy. The undulating water in the lake proved that the tremor hadn't been an illusion.

"Damn it, no warning for an earthquake? It scared the life out of me." Zhong Yun had never experienced an earthquake before, and the sudden event had given him quite a fright.

His thousands of subjects had clearly felt it too; they were running outside, talking in hushed tones. Zhong Yun sent a few robots to herd them back into their houses. Compared to the outside, the homes he had built were much safer.

Returning to the spaceship, Zhong Yun asked Zero about the World Tree again. "What exactly is this World Tree? Can it really help me reach the second level of the Origin?"

"I have a file here. You may take a look." Instead of answering directly, Zero opened a document for him.

Zhong Yun began to read, feeling skeptical. The file was filled with both text and images, providing a detailed introduction to the situation regarding the World Tree.

After reading it, Zhong Yun’s heart remained unsettled for a long time. This was a world-shaking secret.

The World Tree was the highest secret of the Jialan civilization. In truth, it wasn't exactly a secret; many cosmic civilizations knew of the World Tree, but throughout history, other than on Jialan Star, no one had ever successfully cultivated one.

The World Tree was a super-plant that used an entire planet as its nutrients. No one knew where it came from. It was extremely dominant; as long as it took root on a suitable planet, it would cause all other plant life on that world to wither within a very short time. Eventually, only one plant would remain on the entire planet.

The World Tree had incredibly tenacious vitality; its roots could reach the surface of the planet's molten core. Once it merged with the planet, it would never die unless the planet itself was destroyed.

The World Tree also possessed powerful combat capabilities. Although it was just a plant, under the control of the Jialan people, ordinary space warships were no match for it.

The World Tree was a treasure trove. Parts of its trunk were the best materials for crafting top-tier mechs; its nectar was an supreme ingredient for concocting medicines; its leaves could be refined into the toughest fibers...

And the most valuable part was its fruit, which was the most effective item in the universe for increasing one's Origin, bar none. Beyond that, there were countless other benefits.

What Zhong Yun valued most was that the World Tree was the most suitable place for Jialan people to cultivate. The sap it secreted was an indispensable substance for them.

Without the sap of the World Tree, the Jialan people could never break through to the third level. It could be said that the prosperity of the Jialan people was closely tied to the World Tree.

Five thousand years ago, when the Jialan civilization fell, there were quite a few Jialan people out in the galaxy—millions of them. But why had they never been able to make a comeback? The biggest reason was that with the destruction of the Jialan civilization, the World Tree had also gone extinct. Without the sap and the third-level elites, how could they not fall into decline?

After reading the data, Zhong Yun sighed. So, the true reason for the Jialan people's decline was the disappearance of the World Tree.

Then, the question surfaced in his mind again: *Zero, is it a legacy left behind by the Jialan people? Otherwise, how could it have a seed of the World Tree?*

However, he immediately cast the doubt to the back of his mind. No matter who Zero had belonged to in the past, it was his now.

PS: Asking for votes again.