Assistant Ling greeted Chen Chuan with a smile, then gestured toward a glass on a nearby side table. The liquid inside glowed with the colors of a sunset cloud and seemed to be slowly drifting.
“This is a new beverage from the Merging Land called ‘Colored Nebula.’ It’s also good for nourishing the spirit. I’m personally quite fond of it. Manager Chen, you should give it a try and tell me what you think.”
Chen Chuan walked over and leaned his Snow Monarch Blade against the side. He picked up the cup and took a sip. With his Second Self, he wasn’t worried about any potential issues. The drink itself was perfectly fine. As it went down, he felt as if he were meditating before Master Hongfa’s Lotus Seat. His spirit felt nourished and repaired, bringing a sense of contentment and joy.
He set the cup down. “As a beverage, it’s certainly very good.”
Assistant Ling said, “As technology advances, we’re able to taste and enjoy more and more things. At the same time, however, those in the lower classes might never encounter these things in their entire lives.
“Then again, what do we know of the things enjoyed by those in the even higher echelons? They probably look at us the same way we look at the lower classes.”
He then turned to the side and made an inviting gesture further inside. “Manager Chen, please.”
Chen Chuan glanced forward. At his feet was a revolving wooden walkway that seemed to lead up into the canopy. But he knew the scenes here were a mix of real and fake, illusion and reality. Without stripping away the Domain, it was very difficult to tell what was what. He nodded, picked up his Snow Monarch Blade again, and walked forward.
Once he stepped forward, Assistant Ling began walking with him deeper into the Sky Garden, speaking as they went.
“It’s a shame you were too busy to visit us a few days ago, Manager Chen. We had an exchange with people from Qiongjian Academy. Our students were defeated far too many times. Although we managed to win back a few matches thanks to the performance of our teachers, we were actually giving it our all. It looked like a draw on the surface, but in reality, we lost.”
Chen Chuan said, “From the information I received, although the visiting students were from Qiongjian Academy, they were actually elites hand-picked from academies in various States. There’s no shame in losing to them.”
Assistant Ling said with a smile, “Indeed. But I believe that if you were here, Manager Chen, whether as a student or a teacher, no one from Qiongjian Academy could have defeated you.”
Chen Chuan said, “Different roles come with different responsibilities. I can only focus on what needs to be done right now.”
“Of course.”
Assistant Ling showed his understanding. “What you’re doing now, Manager Chen, is more important than competing for a momentary victory. However, I believe that with your abilities, you could actually be doing much more.”
By now, the two had reached the top of the revolving walkway. It was a wide platform about twenty meters off the ground, large enough to hold a dozen people.
What was particularly noteworthy was that metal cables hung down around the platform’s perimeter, making it look like a chandelier suspended in the air. Beyond it, more than a dozen similar platforms could be seen, though they had been obscured by the dense branches earlier.
Chen Chuan looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He turned back and asked, “So, Assistant Ling, what did you want to show me? I have a lot to do, so let’s get straight to the point.”
Assistant Ling gave a faint smile. “Then I’ll be frank. Ever since our last conversation, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this, Manager Chen. Unfortunately, the time wasn’t right, but now, it’s perfect.”
“Now?”
Chen Chuan said, “What’s so special about now?”
Assistant Ling chuckled but didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “I remember last time, Manager Chen, you asked me what it is that I possess. I’ll show you now. Perhaps you’ll understand once you’ve seen it.”
As he spoke, he snapped his fingers, and the surrounding scenery changed instantly. All the colorful flowers and plants, the flowing rivers, and the vibrant birds flying about all vanished. In their place was a vast, endless green prairie.
A long, white river was embedded in the land. In the distance, the faint silhouettes of mountains stretched out, seeming to fade into the sky. The rich layers of color created an indescribable sense of magnificence.
Yet none of this could compare to one thing. In fact, upon first glance, one’s gaze would be drawn to it alone. At the center of the prairie stood a great tree, visually estimated to be over thirty meters tall.
Its root system arched above the ground, spreading out in a dense, web-like pattern, tightly bound to the earth. Its trunk was thick and towered high, standing like a giant that could support the entire sky.
The canopy was like a giant green cloud covering the trunk. Within it, countless twisted and spiraling branches could be seen. In the intricate, coiling clusters were innumerable orbs of light, twinkling like morning stars.
A layer of milky-white mist also swirled around the tree, drifting out over the prairie and shrouding most of its verdant trunk from view.
Assistant Ling turned, his voice tinged with a suppressed fanaticism. “Allow me to introduce you. This tree is called the ‘True Form Tree.’ It originates from the Merging Land, but it’s very hard to find even there. Not because it’s rare, but because it has a symbiotic nature with other creatures. It often discards its selfhood before it can reach full maturity.”
“But once it does manage to mature, it can fuse with and absorb other living organisms, accepting them as part of itself. It is an extremely special type of Domain Creature. It can be humble, but it can also be magnificent.
“It will be our ladder, our stairway to ascension!”
Chen Chuan stared intently at the tree. At that moment, he suddenly recalled the area in Hongsheng District where Teacher Wu once lived. Chang Dong had told him that a plant had been growing beneath the ground there, but it later disappeared.
He said, “Does it need to reach maturity? I wonder how many years this tree has been growing.”
“A long time. This tree has been growing for over thirty years.”
Chen Chuan nodded. ‘Over thirty years.’ Back then, Assistant Ling hadn’t yet arrived in Jibei Dao Central City, so he couldn’t have been the one to plant this tree. However, the assistant had previously made no secret of having a team. ‘To accomplish something like this, the power those people wield must be immense.’
He said, “Assistant Ling, is this what you rely on? It may be magnificent, and it may be special, but how can it accomplish the things you’ve described?”
Assistant Ling smiled. “That’s because you haven’t seen its true nature yet, so you can’t understand… But what about… this…”
He made another gesture, and in an instant, the surrounding scenery changed once more.
Chen Chuan found that he and Assistant Ling were now standing directly on a thick branch extending from the great tree. From this vantage point, the mist was left behind them, and he was able to see some details clearly.
When he looked up, his gaze involuntarily froze.
From a distance, he had seen what looked like orbs of light twinkling like morning stars among the branches and leaves. But looking now, they weren’t orbs of light at all. They were clearly human brains, hundreds of them at least. They were encased in dense, crystal-like white fibers, which reflected pinpoints of light under the glow of the mist.
What was horrifying was that the brains seemed to be squirming faintly, as if they were still alive.
Assistant Ling smiled. “Don’t be surprised, Manager Chen. They are not dead. Or rather, their owners’ original consciousnesses are still intact. They have simply discarded their physical bodies for the time being and entrusted their consciousness here.”
Chen Chuan’s eyes darkened. “Setting aside why anyone would do this, where did you get so many brains, Assistant Ling?”
Assistant Ling looked at him, seemingly surprised that this was his first concern. Nevertheless, he patiently explained, “Some were purchased. As you know, the brains of Fighters have always been an important resource for experiments.
“Others were donated after death by individuals who signed agreements beforehand. And some came from less talented students. We couldn’t bear to see them walk a path with no future, so we gave them a second life here.”
Chen Chuan suddenly thought of the dueling arena hosted by the academy, where casualties were completely disregarded. He looked up. “I imagine many of these were once students of Wuyi.”
Assistant Ling was not evasive in the slightest. “Yes. But as I said, we haven’t abandoned them. We’ve simply placed them here to become part of us. Here, they can continue to chase their dreams.”
“Dreams?”
“Yes, dreams.”
At this point, Assistant Ling’s emotions began to escalate. He said, “Did you know? Once the True Form Tree matures, it can create a Domain of consciousness. Inside, it can simulate a world almost identical to the one outside, allowing the consciousnesses that enter to live and grow within it.
“What limits us in reality is nothing more than resources. But imagine, in this simulated world, all necessary resources can be provided infinitely. Talent can be supplemented through all sorts of conditions. In theory, anyone here can cultivate and reach the Third Limit, or even higher. Here, every Fighter can fulfill their dream and realize their vision.”
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, “But none of it is real.”
“Yes, for now, it’s not real.”
Assistant Ling looked at Chen Chuan with a mysterious smile. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t become real. It just requires certain necessary conditions—conditions that people like us must create.”
He said sincerely, “Manager Chen, you don’t need to feel any moral burden. We are undertaking a cause with a noble ideal. Just imagine, once we succeed on this path, when everyone benefits from it, what will these sacrifices along the way even matter?”
He extended his hand in a gesture of invitation. “Manager Chen, if you are willing to join us, we can realize this together. We can change the world together.”
Chen Chuan stood there, holding his Snow Monarch Blade. His gaze was deep and calm, and he paid no attention to Assistant Ling’s outstretched hand. “I’m sorry, I refuse.”