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"This is too fast!"
Li Fan was immediately quite astonished in his heart.
Traveling from the Spirit Tree Realm to Jiushan Province almost spanned half of Shilin State.
At the normal escape speed of a Nascent Soul Monk, it would take at least five or six days.
With Lin Ling carrying Li Fan, if they were to fly in the sky, it would probably still take half a day.
But with the aid of the Power of Ley Lines, it was almost an instant, and they had already arrived.
What’s more critical is that traveling underground, there was no trace!
Currently, the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals and the Five Elders Organization are in a standoff, and there are multiple defense lines guarding the border between Shilin State and Jiushan Province.
However, when Li Fan and his company traveled through, they did not cause any awareness on either side.
"The Power of Ley Lines is pure and exclusive. It seems that in the Xuanhuang World, no one has yet found a way to safely traverse within the ley lines," Li Fan recalled various pieces of information he had come across about the ley lines and pondered to himself.
After arriving in Jiushan Province, the flow of the ley lines seemed to encounter some kind of obstruction.
It suddenly changed from turbulent to gentle.
Li Fan also sensed an uncomfortable emotion from Lin Ling.
So he signaled her to return to the surface.
Before drilling out from the ground, Li Fan first cautiously observed his surroundings. Only after ensuring that there were no other people around did he break through the soil.
"The aura here makes one feel very uncomfortable," Lin Ling frowned slightly.
"Jiushan Province is transformed from the body of an Ancient Exotic Beast. It’s normal for you to feel a slight rejection of it," Li Fan explained broadly.
"Such a large area, all transformed from a body?" Lin Ling’s eyes suddenly widened, "Its strength must have been terrifyingly powerful when it was alive. No wonder the seniors are restricted here..."
Lin Ling muttered to herself.
"Seniors?" Li Fan’s heart skipped a beat.
"Yes! The reason we could run so fast underground just now was all thanks to the help of the seniors!" Lin Ling said with naivety.
As she spoke, she took out a section of a tree branch, showing it off proudly, "Master, look, this is a gift from the seniors."
Li Fan couldn’t help but squint his eyes.
The tree branch was withered yet it didn’t appear lifeless, rather it was due to the perennial saturation of the Power of Ley Lines. From within, one could still sense the vigorous and powerful force of the ley lines surging.
Li Fan had seen this branch once before.
It was during the 115th cycle, in the Cave Mansion of Ximen Yu in Yueyang State.
"Tree of Ley Lines?"
He immediately remembered Ximen Yu’s speculation about the origins of this tree.
Back then, [Ruo Mu] was severely injured by cultivators, and some large trunks fell off its body and plummeted to the world below.
After generations of proliferation, they each evolved into different Ancient Trees.
The Tree of Ley Lines was one of them.
Growing in reverse, its ancient roots spread throughout the lands of the Xuanhuang World.
"How did you communicate with that ’senior’?" Li Fan asked, looking at Lin Ling.
Lin Ling tilted her head, looking at Li Fan, seemingly unable to grasp the meaning in his words.
After a while, she simply transferred the entire process of her communication with the Leyline Ancient Tree to Li Fan.
The communication between ancient trees is not the same as that of humans.
It was almost at the moment of reaching the ley lines that the two had already resonated and connected.
And in an extremely short amount of time, they had completed the exchange of information.
The Leyline Ancient Tree showed great affection for Lin Ling, who was a newly born junior.
It not only didn’t attack her but also proactively lent a hand.
Moreover, from the Leyline Ancient Tree, Lin Ling also learned about the other ancient trees in the Xuanhuang World.
First was the [Ruo Mu], the oldest in the world and the progenitor of all spirits...
The Leyline Ancient Tree did not tell Lin Ling its name.
It only cautioned Lin Ling that the Mother Tree’s temperament had greatly changed, becoming unpredictable and temperamental. Even if they were the same kind of Tree Spirits, it wouldn’t look upon them favorably. On the contrary, there was a possibility that it would devour these scattered ancient trees to nourish itself.
```
It is necessary to stay as far away as possible.
Then there are two existences on par with the Leyline Ancient Tree.
Both are the strongest seeds that detached themselves from Ruo Mu in the past.
One is the [Wanspirit Ancient Tree], and the other is the [Celestial Flower Ancient Tree].
Although both originate from the same source, they have chosen completely opposite paths.
The Wanspirit Ancient Tree chose to reproduce itself as much as possible.
Spreading countless branches throughout the world.
Even if it suffers a tribulation, as long as one branch remains unextinguished and it’s given enough time, it can grow back again.
Whereas the Celestial Flower Ancient Tree has chosen the path of [Unification of a Thousand Laws].
Constantly reducing and refining itself, aiming to return to an existence akin to Ruo Mu one day.
...
Some fragmented images of the [Wanspirit Ancient Tree] and the [Celestial Flower Ancient Tree] flashed through Li Fan’s spirit consciousness.
What surprised him was that he had actually encountered both during his experiences of reincarnation in this realm.
The branches of the Wanspirit Ancient Tree were precisely the material Jiao Xiuyuan used to refine his avatars.
"Spreading branches and leaves, all across Xuanhuang. It vaguely aligns with Jiao’s [Path of a Thousand Puppets]."
"It’s just that I don’t know what relation Jiao Xiuyuan himself has with the Wanspirit Ancient Tree."
As for the Celestial Flower Ancient Tree, Li Fan only had a brief encounter with it.
It was the tree with a human face that he saw in Qingfeng Hall, a lending organization on Ten Thousand Immortals Island.
In the 115th lifetime, the Five Elders Organization suddenly attacked Ten Thousand Immortals Island, intending to move the entire island.
At that time, the entire space was sealed off, and all means of communication and teleportation were invalidated.
Li Fan still paid a hefty sum to find out a method of escape from Jiao Xiuyuan.
It was through Qingfeng Hall that he successfully evaded the calamity.
"This human-faced tree is one of the offshoots of the Celestial Flower Ancient Tree."
"As for the female voice with the Spirit Tree, I have no idea who she is."
...
Beyond these two powerful ancient trees,
the Leyline Ancient Tree also introduced Lin Ling to several younger generations, one level weaker.
Like Lin Ling, they are all trees of the world that have given birth to their own spirit wisdom.
Most are hidden in Xuanhuang Cave Heavens and Small Worlds.
As Cave Heavens and Small Worlds rely on Xuan Huang, these Spirit Trees can also subtly connect with the Leyline Ancient Tree.
However, Lin Ling is still the first one able to transform and leave on her own.
So the Leyline Ancient Tree was very excited.
And as for Lin Ling being under the control of a cultivator, the Leyline Ancient Tree didn’t seem to care much about it.
It only reminded Lin Ling that Spirit Trees in the world each have their own destined laws.
And to cultivate following the ideas deep in her heart.
The newly born Lin Ling naturally had only a vague understanding and simply acknowledged obediently.
...
"I didn’t expect that so many things would happen in an instant,"
"And all of it without my noticing, even though I can completely control Lin Ling."
"The methods of ancient trees are truly mysterious and unfathomable."
"Fortunately, whether it’s the Leyline Ancient Tree or Lin Ling, their natures are relatively mild. Not as extreme as Ruo Mu."
"Otherwise, if they joined hands to plot against me behind my back..."
"It would be quite difficult to guard against."
Li Fan muttered with a slight sigh.
