Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 56

“Not bad,” Su Mu remarked with a slight smile. He was quite pleased that the Earthquake Bear had returned safely.

“Why is it covered in wounds?” the Purple-Gold Mosquito inquired.

“It broke through while outside earlier, and its energy leak attracted an attack from the humans,” Su Mu explained. As he spoke, his expression turned cold as if sensing something.

“The Misty Skeletons… it’s time for the humans to know of your existence,” he muttered.

With a single thought from Su Mu, the mist in the area began to shift.

At the edge of the Misty Forbidden Zone, where the Earthquake Bear and other beasts were located, a metal eagle was flying above them. Green Hills Mansion, having discovered the ancient art of crafting from the Ancient Cavern, had been experimenting with various creations. This metal eagle was one such experimental product. Clearly, Green Hills Mansion had not entirely given up on uncovering the secrets behind the Earthquake Bear.

Suddenly, the mist ahead began to surge. A skeleton, formed entirely of mist, emerged and threw a powerful punch. The metal eagle was instantly shattered into pieces, and the mist quickly enveloped the area, completely obscuring it from view.

Back at Green Hills Mansion’s Seven Star Array Center, the image being projected by the grand array abruptly went dark.

“Did any of you catch that?” someone asked.

“What was that thing?”

“It looked like a skeleton made of mist,” another person noted.

“And what kind of power did it use to destroy the metal puppet eagle with just one punch?” The high-ranking members of Green Hills Mansion were filled with confusion and fear.

“How could this be?” one of them exclaimed. “That puppet eagle, while not perfectly crafted, had incredibly strong defenses. During testing, it withstood attacks from second-tier middle-grade creatures, yet it was obliterated by a single punch from a strange misty skeleton.”

“We need to understand what that misty skeleton really is,” Gao Siming said gravely.

“Could it be some kind of evil cultivator’s technique?” someone speculated.

“It’s not the work of an evil cultivator,” a middle-aged man with a goatee interrupted as he entered the room.

“Master Chen,” everyone greeted respectfully.

The man, Chen Jinyao, was Green Hills Mansion’s chief artifact refiner, the one who had crafted the metal eagle.

Chen Jinyao took out a metal orb. “This is a metal orb that connects to the core of the metal eagle,” he explained. “Before the eagle was destroyed, it transmitted close-up images. Take a look.”

He infused the orb with spiritual energy, causing it to project an image in the air. The image showed the moments before the metal eagle was destroyed. The members of Green Hills Mansion clearly saw the misty skeleton glance up at the sky. That single glance left everyone breathless.

It was clear now—this misty skeleton wasn’t just a magical technique. It was a living being.

“What on earth is that?” the group murmured, feeling a deep sense of unease.

“Do you remember the Fire Spirit from the Ancient Cavern?” Chen Jinyao asked.

The others were momentarily stunned before gasping in realization. Not long ago, a strange and terrifying entity had emerged in the Ancient Cavern, living within the volcanic magma. It was later named “Fire Spirit” by the Great Xia Empire.

“Master Chen, are you suggesting that this misty skeleton is similar to the Fire Spirit?” Gao Siming inquired.

“Exactly,” Chen Jinyao confirmed with a nod. “The emergence of the Misty Forbidden Zone was peculiar from the start. Now, it seems likely that this is due to the birth of something akin to a ‘Mist Spirit.'”

“This theory makes a lot of sense,” another elder agreed. “It explains everything that has been baffling us.”

“So the origin of the Misty Forbidden Zone lies in this Mist Spirit,” they concluded.

“No wonder the investigative teams we and Nanjing City sent into the Misty Forbidden Zone vanished without a trace,” Gao Siming said with a cold snort. “It seems the Mist Spirit is responsible.”

“What should we do about this?” someone asked.

After a moment of contemplation, Gao Siming replied, “Raise the danger level of the Misty Forbidden Zone from Catastrophe Level to Disaster Level. And keep a close watch on the area—if the bear or the Mist Spirit tries to leave, they must be eliminated at any cost.”

Back in the Misty Forbidden Zone, the Earthquake Bear, despite being covered in injuries, grinned at Su Mu.

“Divine Tree, I’ve established a large beast organization at Purple Radiance Mountain,” the bear said, looking at Su Mu with eyes full of anticipation, like a child seeking approval.

Su Mu smiled, “Well done.”

“Heh, earlier, I couldn’t bring them to the Misty Forbidden Zone because I was being hunted. But once the situation calms down, I’ll lead them here,” the Earthquake Bear said, visibly pleased with itself.

Su Mu was even more satisfied now. With the addition of the Earthquake Bear, now named Xiong Ba, he had gained another powerful ally, following in the footsteps of the Sea Monk.

Not being stingy, Su Mu rewarded the Earthquake Bear with two drops of Life Essence Liquid. The bear’s injuries began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“Divine Tree, I have a gift for you as well,” the Earthquake Bear added with a look of pride. It then opened its mouth and spat out a white mushroom.

“Oh?” Su Mu’s interest was piqued. He sensed a potent spiritual energy emanating from the mushroom. It was clearly a spiritual plant.

“Divine Tree, I don’t know what this mushroom is,” the bear explained. “In Purple Radiance Mountain, there’s a Snake Valley where they were guarding this thing.”

Su Mu chuckled as he pieced the story together. “And you broke in and snatched it, didn’t you?”

Despite the situation, Su Mu was touched. Even though the Earthquake Bear had been pursued and hunted, it had managed to keep the mushroom safe and intact, demonstrating its loyalty.

“Dumb bear,” the White Spirit Python interjected angrily, “what did you do to those snakes?”

“Heh, I killed most of them,” the Earthquake Bear replied nonchalantly. “Otherwise, do you think they’d just let me walk away with this mushroom?”

“I’ll never forgive you,” the White Spirit Python snarled as it lunged at the bear.

Unfazed, the bear retorted, “Stupid snake, are you seriously angry because you see yourself as their kin? You’re a demon now, capable of speech. To ordinary snakes, you’re like humans are to ordinary monkeys—on a completely different level.”

“Well…” The White Spirit Python hesitated, then halted its attack. It certainly didn’t want to consider itself on the same level as those lower beings.

Ignoring their playful bickering, Su Mu focused his attention on the mushroom. The mushroom was extraordinary, with a deep connection to spiritual energy. It appeared to be an ordinary spiritual plant, but Su Mu had a feeling it would bring him a pleasant surprise. However, this would require time to confirm.

He immediately planted the mushroom in the soil beneath him and decided to let it be for now.

“Xiong Ba, as an Earthquake Bear who controls the power of earth and fury, I hereby name you ‘Xiong Ba,'” Su Mu declared, naming the bear.

The name carried a bit of playful irony, a touch of humor from Su Mu’s soul, which originated from another world.

The Earthquake Bear froze, stunned that the Divine Tree had just given it a name. It knew what this meant—having a name bestowed by the Divine Tree signified that it was truly one of the Divine Tree’s own.

Once the realization hit, the bear was overjoyed, and it excitedly said, “Xiong Ba? What a great name! Thank you, Divine Tree, for giving me this name.”

It then knelt and kowtowed to Su Mu three times, a gesture of deep respect and gratitude.