Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 117

“Regarding Su Mo’s situation, I actually intended to discuss it with you,” Prime Minister Liang said. “Some time ago, the court investigated the Su family. I hope you can understand this. During the investigation, the court discovered that someone in the Su family was secretly colluding with the Misty Forbidden Zone. Su Mo was a key figure in this. Therefore, I suspect that this is a ploy by the Misty Forbidden Zone to drive a wedge between you and the court.”

Su Yao feigned surprise. “The Misty Forbidden Zone is a domain of demons. Could demons really be capable of such tactics?”

“Perhaps not elsewhere, but the Misty Forbidden Zone is different,” Prime Minister Liang explained. “From their various actions, it’s clear that their intelligence rivals that of humans. You must remain vigilant against the Misty Forbidden Zone in the future.”

“I will,” Su Yao replied seriously. “And since the Misty Forbidden Zone has schemed against me, I’ll remember this debt.”

Hearing this, Prime Minister Liang felt even more satisfied. He smiled and said, “Enough of that for now. Come with me; I have an extraordinary opportunity to offer you.”

“Yes,” Su Yao responded, continuing to uphold her habit of not asking too many questions.

She then followed Prime Minister Liang, joining a large caravan secretly assembled in the capital. The caravan slowly moved out of the city. Once outside, it split into two groups. One group removed their ordinary clothes, revealing armor underneath. A figure of great authority emerged at the front of the group.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” Prime Minister Liang was the first to bow.

The others quickly followed suit, kneeling in respect. Su Yao pretended to be shocked, joining the others in bowing. The imposing figure was none other than the Emperor of the Great Xia Empire.

“Proceed,” the Emperor ordered.

Half a day later, the group arrived at an ancient cave nestled within a desolate valley. This area had seldom been explored. The Great Xia Empire was the first power to explore it. At that moment, the entrance to the valley was heavily guarded. When the Emperor arrived, the soldiers knelt in reverence.

The Emperor, along with Prime Minister Liang, led a group of thirteen imperial prodigies, including Su Yao, deep into the valley. Deep within the valley, a massive underground passage had been excavated. As they descended, Su Yao felt the spiritual energy around them growing denser. Finally, they reached a depth of three thousand feet below ground.

Upon seeing the scene before her, Su Yao couldn’t help but be awestruck. They had entered a vast underground cavern. The central cavern was about three miles in diameter, with several smaller caverns branching off from it. Each of these smaller caverns emanated distinct elemental energies—lightning, fire, water, wood, and more.

It was as if they had stumbled upon a mythical dojo from ancient times. However, unlike those dojos crafted by mythical beings, this cavern was entirely natural. The Great Xia had truly unearthed something beyond even the most precious treasures.

Those who could seize the opportunities within this cavern would undoubtedly undergo a profound transformation in their abilities.

“You may choose the spiritual land that best aligns with your attributes,” Prime Minister Liang announced. “After the Emperor discovered this place, he sealed it off to preserve the spiritual energy within. But now that the seal has been lifted, the energy will dissipate quickly, likely within three days. During this time, how much energy you absorb and how much insight you gain depends entirely on your aptitude and comprehension.”

With that, the Emperor and Prime Minister Liang made their choices first. The Emperor chose the lightning spiritual land, while Prime Minister Liang chose the fire spiritual land. The other prodigies quickly followed suit, each selecting a spiritual land corresponding to their elemental roots.

Su Yao, having a wood elemental root, was the only one to choose the wood spiritual land. She swiftly entered and was immediately struck by the sight of a green pool within. It was filled with wood-element spiritual liquid, indicating that the spiritual energy here was so dense it had liquefied. However, the liquid was rapidly evaporating. Su Yao estimated that she could only absorb about half of it, with the remaining nine-tenths being wasted.

If the Emperor had allowed more people to enter, the waste could have been significantly reduced. But it was clear that the Emperor wanted to keep the secret of this spiritual land. Once he absorbed its energy, his strength would increase dramatically, making it hard to predict just how powerful he might become. The Emperor seemed intent on hiding his true strength.

With the spiritual liquid evaporating so quickly, Su Yao wasted no time and immediately began cultivating. However, as she meditated, she felt a sense of oppression from below the cavern. She could faintly hear a deep, rhythmic breathing, powerful enough to cause the ground beneath her to tremble. It was certainly not the breath of a human.

“Could it be…” Su Yao wondered, suspecting that there was something more beneath the cavern. The Emperor and his men must have known this, as they had discovered the site first. The fact that they had not dared to disturb whatever lay below suggested that it was something even the Emperor feared.

Su Yao’s heart raced. If there truly was something below, its value was likely far greater than what was above. While the Emperor might currently avoid provoking it, once he had fully absorbed the spiritual energy and his strength had increased, the situation might change. If the Emperor became too powerful, it would not bode well for the Misty Forbidden Zone.

Without further hesitation, Su Yao relayed this information to Su Mu through their mental link. Su Mu was immediately alert. The opportunity the Great Xia had stumbled upon was indeed extraordinary. Not only had they found a spiritual land, but one with multiple attributes.

“Su Yao, relax your mind. I can temporarily channel my power through you,” Su Mu instructed.

If someone without a Heart of Faith had heard these words, their first reaction would be to become wary of Su Mu. But Su Yao was thrilled. “Really?”

“Yes,” Su Mu responded with a slight smile.

Without any hesitation, Su Yao emptied her mind. Su Mu sensed one of the stars in the “starry sky” within his consciousness dimming, its outer light retracting. This indicated that the star had fully lowered its defenses against him. Undoubtedly, this star represented Su Yao’s Heart of Faith.

Su Mu was also looking forward to this moment. He was eager to experience what it would be like to channel his power into another being.

Whoosh!

With a thought, Su Mu’s consciousness traversed from the central “sun” in the starry sky and descended into Su Yao’s Heart of Faith. Through this connection, Su Mu could transfer his consciousness and power into Su Yao’s body.

However, this transfer was not limitless. Since Su Yao’s strength was far below his own, there was a limit to how much she could bear. If he channeled too much of his consciousness, it could damage Su Yao’s mental sea. Likewise, if he transferred too much power, it could harm her body. Su Mu had to restrain himself.

Ultimately, about thirty percent of Su Mu’s consciousness and power entered Su Yao’s body. Even so, this was immensely powerful. Su Mu was already a fourth-tier supreme-grade existence, and even thirty percent of his power was terrifying—akin to the descent of a fourth-tier being.

At the same time, Su Yao felt an overwhelming will descend upon her, accompanied by an ocean-like power. Under this will, she felt incredibly small, realizing that this force could easily destroy or possess her if it so desired. However, Su Yao felt no fear. The great Divine Tree, after all, had no reason to harm or possess her, as it would gain nothing from doing so.

“Lord Divine Tree,” Su Yao thought, her heart filled with joy and excitement. She felt deeply honored and comforted by the Divine Tree’s power entering her body. It was her first time experiencing such an intimate connection with the Divine Tree’s power, which was as formidable as she had imagined. The power was also supremely pure, giving her a sense of encountering the true Dao.

“Your body has limited capacity. I can only channel part of my power,” Su Mu explained.

This revelation shocked Su Yao even more. The power she sensed was already beyond comprehension, and yet it was only a fraction of the Divine Tree’s true strength. She could not fathom just how powerful the Divine Tree truly was.

“Next, I will help you absorb the wood-element spiritual liquid here,” Su Mu continued. “Focus on your cultivation. I will investigate the presence beneath the cavern.”

“Yes, Lord Divine Tree,” Su Yao responded with utmost reverence.

As Su Mu spoke, he began scanning the area. He detected two powerful auras within the cavern. One was at the perfected grade of the third tier, equivalent to the peak of the human Golden Core stage. The other was at the upper grade of the third tier, corresponding to the later stages of the Golden Core. There was no doubt about their identities.

Su Mu felt reassured. He finally knew the Emperor’s cultivation level. However, at that moment, the Emperor’s aura was turbulent, indicating that he was on the verge of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. If Su Mu wanted, he could easily disrupt the Emperor’s breakthrough. But he chose not to. After all, Su Yao’s body could not sustain his power for long. He had about a quarter of an hour before he would have to withdraw. Given the limited time, Su Mu decided to focus on more important matters.

Whoosh!

Su Mu directed his consciousness into the deeper part of the cavern. About a hundred feet below, he found another, even larger cavern. What he discovered there caused his consciousness to pause. The deeper cavern was filled with long white hair, and there was a crack through which faint moonlight streamed, illuminating the hair in an eerie glow.

“Brushing against the moonlight, I have witnessed a millennium of human vicissitudes,” a soft voice echoed. “I did not expect to encounter a being like you in this world.“

Su Mu’s consciousness finally reached the end of the white hair, where an old man lay on a rock. His body was short, only about five feet in length. Even with his extensive experience, Su Mu instantly recognized that this old man was not human. The old man exuded a rich, earthy aura, similar to the mist beings Su Mu had created. Su Mu’s mind raced. This old man was likely an Earth Spirit.

“White hair hanging down three thousand feet, laughing at the world’s affairs. You are indeed living leisurely,” Su Mu responded.

The old man sat up, his cloudy eyes fixed on Su Mu. “You are not one of my old acquaintances, yet this world’s spiritual resurgence is recent. Only those old beings could have reached your level of cultivation at this time. And yet, I cannot see through you.“