Li Shu was stunned for a moment under Gu Lin’s gaze, and he quietly tugged at his cloak: [1314, are you sure this won’t give me away?]
[Of course,] 1314 was offended by the doubt cast on the system props and retorted, [Host, this cloak could fool even beings in the cultivation world, let alone in a world that’s just awakened. Don’t worry, the male protagonist will never recognize you.]
Li Shu paused and trusted the system’s words.
He cleared his throat, and even his voice changed: “Who I am is none of your concern. I was just passing through and got blocked.”
‘And so, you want to solve this tree blocking your way?’ Shocked by the host’s words, 1314 couldn’t help but complain internally: Host, can’t you come up with a more convincing reason? Who would believe that?
To 1314’s surprise, Gu Lin did believe it, trusting the excuse without question. However, he found it strange. He wasn’t someone who would just believe whatever others said. He was not like that in the past and he definitely wasn’t like that now. He couldn’t understand why he believed such an obviously unreliable reason.
But what was done was done. The trust had been given, and he wouldn’t take it back. A voice in his heart kept telling him that this person could be trusted, and he inexplicably didn’t want to argue with it.
He couldn’t bring himself to be wary of this person whose face he couldn’t see and whose voice he’d never heard before.
“Are you here to help?” Gu Lin withdrew his gaze, staring at the thick branches in front of him that were like a wall, his tone calm.
Li Shu didn’t expect such a ridiculous line to fool the male protagonist. He was caught off guard and answered instinctively: “Yes.”
Upon hearing this answer, Gu Lin’s lips curved slightly.
Li Shu didn’t notice, as he was busy observing the giant tree. A tree this large must have consumed countless crystal cores, and likewise, the core within it must be incredibly powerful.
This crystal core, along with the tree, would be Gu Lin’s spoils of war.
Both of them were lost in their thoughts when the giant tree, which had been ignored for a long time, became restless. With its limited ability to think, it grew angry at the two prey that had been ignoring it and swung its branches, attempting to swat them away.
The roots underground also began to stir. It sensed that the newcomer carried a pure power. If it could absorb this power, it could completely break free from its current state.
There was no denying that creatures acting purely on instinct had strong sixth senses. The power within Li Shu was more pure and powerful than the power of this evolving world. If one of the creatures in this small world could absorb it, it could directly transform into a yao. Of course, that was only if the creature could overpower Li Shu.
*Yao are supernatural beings like spirits, demons, and monsters. They originate from plants, animals and inanimate objects that have gained consciousness through time, spiritual energy or cultivation.
But that was impossible. The power within Li Shu was the upper limit of what this world could bear. If the world’s capacity for power increased, Li Shu’s own power would increase as well, without any upper limit.
After all, he was a fully cultivated nine-tailed demon fox. In a world that hadn’t even produced monsters, he could walk through it sideways.
Naturally, the tree’s attacks couldn’t even get close to him.
As Gu Lin dealt with the attacks, he kept a close watch on the figure in the black cloak. He was very concerned about this person’s presence. Unfortunately, the other party was completely wrapped in the black cloak, and a black mask covered their face. Only by chance did he catch a glimpse of pale, slender fingers.
In contrast with the black robes, the slender fingers gleamed like jade. The eyesight of evolvers was excellent, and Gu Lin could see that the fingers were unscathed, without any calluses. If he held that hand, it would likely feel soft and boneless, like the hands of a young master from a wealthy family who had never worked a day in his life and was pampered.
Together, the two of them quickly defeated the giant tree. Its roots and branches were scattered across the ground, and they were now close to the main trunk.
The most important thing now was to find the location of the tree’s crystal core. For such a massive tree, locating a relatively tiny crystal core was going to be difficult.
Moreover, as an evolved plant, the tree’s defenses were astounding. Its main trunk was like a solid of steel. Even a punch charged with lightning didn’t cause any damage.
Standing beneath the giant tree, humans were incredibly small. Perhaps it didn’t expect any prey to get so close to it. After a brief moment of stillness, the ground began to shake violently.
The giant tree was enraged. It hadn’t thought that the ants it looked down on could actually cause it harm. If the earlier attacks were mere play, now it was going all out.
The leaves turned into blades, surging from all directions, leaving no angle untouched. Branches and roots followed closely, with one attacking from above and the other bursting from the ground, aiming straight at the two.
Without thinking, Gu Lin quickly moved to Li Shu’s side, allowing the black mist to spread out and enclose them both.
The black mist wasn’t invincible. If it faced a significantly stronger opponent, it wouldn’t be able to “digest” the enemy completely.
The black mist only provided an extra layer of protection for the two of them, not complete safety. There are always fish that slip through the net and sneak in, trying tirelessly to cause harm to the two people.
They didn’t focus on the branches above but instead turned their attention to the ground and the roots buried beneath it. If there were no surprises, the crystal core should be in one of these places.
Although it was their first time working together, Li Shu and Gu Lin showed perfect coordination. With just a movement or a glance, they could tell what the other was thinking. This mutual understanding made their fight more and more exhilarating.
As they approached a certain area, the attacks became more intense. Li Shu and Gu Lin looked at each other and knew that they had found the right spot.
Lightning struck down with force, and a large hole appeared in the ground instantly. The two jumped down immediately, and the crystal core was below.
Meanwhile, Xu Yanqiu and the others, who were approaching the inner area, suddenly felt the tree’s attacks grow fiercer. They knew this meant that the boss had probably found the tree’s weak point. They increased their efforts to charge forward.
Their extensive experience fighting evolved species told them that when attacking an evolved species’ core, the enemy would make a desperate counterattack. A single misstep could lead to being killed. They had to find their boss as soon as possible and help in any way they could.
Contrary to what the others might have imagined, what Gu Lin and Li Shu faced wasn’t that terrifying. After jumping into the hole Gu Lin had created, they discovered another space underground.
Below the surface was a huge cavern, filled with thick, tangled roots coiling in complex patterns. These roots were much thicker and smoother than those above ground, and they seemed to emit a faint glow.
Holding their breath, they walked further in. Soon, a buzzing sound reached their ears. Li Shu glanced at the slowly trembling roots around them and knew that they were about to “wake up.”
These roots were much harder to deal with than the ones above. In the original plot, the male protagonist had barely managed to locate the crystal core and descended underground, only to be severely injured by these quietly lurking roots.
The closer you got to the core, the more dangerous it became. This tree was too large, and they couldn’t kill it first like other evolved species before taking the core. They had to go for a slightly easier method and directly retrieve the crystal core.
Without the crystal core’s energy, the tree’s attack power would be greatly weakened. As long as they could withstand its final desperate strike, it would no longer be a threat.
Gu Lin knew this, and Li Shu knew it too. So, without discussing it, they both made the same choice.
The buzzing sound grew louder. Li Shu made a quick decision: “You go for the crystal core, I’ll handle these roots.”
Gu Lin pursed his lips, but the words of refusal never left his mouth. Whether retrieving the crystal core or dealing with the omnipresent roots, both were extremely dangerous. Now was not the time to hesitate. They had to act quickly. The sooner he could extract the crystal core, the less danger the black-cloaked man would face.
Nodding, Gu Lin charged forward. At the same time, the roots began to writhe violently. Li Shu followed closely behind, preventing the roots from getting near Gu Lin.
The path wasn’t long, and soon they reached a relatively open space ahead. A soft green light glowed from within, and the roots’ attacks intensified. They knew this was the place they had been looking for.
Li Shu blocked several roots that were attacking Gu Lin. Seizing the opportunity, Gu Lin leaped into a dark pit, where no roots dared to follow. But it didn’t mean it was safe, danger lurked everywhere, and unseen attacks came from all directions.
The entire ground shook, and dirt kept falling from above. The area was on the verge of collapse. While keeping his spiritual sense focused on Gu Lin’s actions, Li Shu fought off the continuous assault of roots.
Gu Lin was now facing the tree’s final struggle. Once he seized the crystal core which was protected in the center by the roots, the restriction on attacking the forbidden area would disappear, and all the tree’s attacks would converge on him. The pressure on Li Shu immediately lessened.
These attacks were suicidal, the tree’s last desperate retaliation. If Gu Lin were killed here and the tree reclaimed its crystal core, he would become the best nourishment for its recovery.
Gu Lin knew this was the most critical moment. While fending off the tree’s relentless attacks, he searched for a way out. Without the crystal core’s support, this place would soon collapse, and they had to return to the surface as quickly as possible.
With the help of his spiritual sense, Li Shu quickly found Gu Lin. Once they regrouped, the pressure of the attacks eased significantly as they fought together.
The ground began to sink. Li Shu glanced at Gu Lin. He was injured and it looked serious, but compared to the original plot, it was much less severe. After asking 1314 to search for the best escape route, Li Shu grabbed Gu Lin’s wrist and led him out according to the path 1314 had mapped out.
They had to fend off the constant onslaught of roots along the way, but luckily, 1314’s calculation abilities saved Li Shu a lot of trouble.
The ground was collapsing more and more rapidly, and the people above felt it most intensely. The rumbling sounds were constant, like a massive earthquake. Some couldn’t keep their footing and fell. If they hadn’t moved quickly, they would have been swallowed up by the sinking earth.
Just as the collapse reached its final moments, Li Shu pulled Gu Lin up to the surface. Before they could even stand firmly, a huge crashing sound rang out, followed by the giant tree’s fall.
It was a truly magnificent sight. The tree’s vast canopy, which had blocked out the sky, withered in an instant. The tree crumbled as it fell and merged into the soil, returning the stolen energy to the land in a different way.
The dazzling red sun hung low on the horizon, dyeing the entire sky red.
Gu Lin staggered slightly but managed not to fall. He took out the crystal core: “This is yours.”
He was well aware that without this person’s help, it would have been impossible to obtain the crystal core so easily. Naturally, it shouldn’t belong to him.
