Beastmaster of the Ages

Tianming was still worried about Feiling, so he kept checking on her flower. She also gave him some reassurance in the limited way that she could. When he was entirely sure that there would temporarily be no issues, he finally allowed himself to turn his attention elsewhere.

The gigantic divine tree above him looked refreshed, as if it had been reborn after undergoing the blood grudge’s trial. It didn’t look like it had aged one bit, instead looking far more reinvigorated than before. The countless branches and leaves looked like they were filled with life.

The bloody odor on the battlefield had vanished, replaced by a refreshing viridian fragrance. Once again, the light from the flaming clouds above was allowed to shine down to the ground. The world looked like a celestial forest, filled with sublime beauty. People who had been cooped up in their homes behind their formations were no doubt coming out to celebrate the divine tree turning over a new leaf.

Tianming, Feiling, and Xian Xian had taken on the blood grudge and saved everything, finally putting an end to the conflicts on the continent. The celestial orderian-aligned factions and the alliance had held a huge battle there, only for the former to be wiped out and the Empyrean Sword Sect to retreat without taking any of the divine herbs. Peace had returned to the continent. The only question left was where the saplings had disappeared to.

“Phew….” Tianming took a deep breath of relief.

“Little Li, that big dumb one has something else to give you to thank us for saving it,” Xian Xian said as Tianming joined up with Long Wanying and Yang Ce.

“Big dumb one? Who’s that?”

The tree pointed all of its branches toward the divine tree. It sounded like Xian Xian had found a new victim to slap another lame nickname on. “See for yourself.”

There was a green radiance in the sky. Tianming looked up and saw a group of hugging humanoid figures descending before him. They numbered more than sixty people, or rather human-shaped fruits. The fragrance coming from them was thick and dense, a sign that they had separated from the divine tree after ripening. They were the very same saplings as before. Tianming counted a full thirty-five pairs, not one fewer.

“What did it say?” Tianming asked. He had no idea what the saplings could be used for.

“They’re basically young divine trees. One day, they will grow into new divine trees. It said that this is both a gift and request. If you find a good place to plant them and protect them, they’ll each grow into a divine tree like this one. All of them will be able to harvest the nova source and convert it into countless divine herbs,” Xian Xian said.

“Got it!” That would be a win-win arrangement. The divine tree needed someone to protect its children as they grew up, and once they did, they would be able to return the favor. As for why it’d chosen him for this, it no doubt had something to do with what happened today. Even though he was only a junior, he had earned the divine tree’s trust.

“It also said that it knows that the bugs that’re all over its branches are part of you. It says that you’ll definitely become really powerful one day, and the thirty-five divine trees will help you construct a bountiful and prosperous galactic empire,” Xian Xian proudly said. Tianming’s greatness was its greatness as well.

“Alright!” He deeply bowed toward the divine tree. “Old divine tree, I’ll definitely protect them as they mature so that you have no worries. Your family will definitely spread and prosper for countless generations!”

Each of the divine tree’s leaves shook, making a rustling sound that was almost like a grateful affirmation, unlike the grieving cry from before. Tianming could hear its praise from the sound. He knew how much it valued the saplings, for the number of divine trees that existed in the entire universe was far too low. Yet it had entrusted all of the saplings to him alone to help it propagate and achieve its ultimate purpose in life. It was the divine tree’s dream to propagate and prosper, a dream that Tianming clearly understood. That was why it had decided that he was a person worthy of its trust.

“However, they’re still saplings right now. What do I need to do to help them grow?” he asked.

As the divine tree couldn’t speak, Xian Xian had to be the interpreter. After a while, it crossed its arms and said, “The big dumb one said that the only thing they need is nova source, so as long as they’re planted somewhere safe with nova source, they’ll be fine. They’re fundamentally weak, so protection is important.”

“Alright.” As they were lifeforms, they couldn’t be transported in spatial rings, so placing them at the Azuresoul Palace or Xuanyuan Dragon Sect would be the safest thing for now.

“It hasn’t finished!” Xian Xian said.

“Then tell me.”

“Tch! Listen up! This is the most important part!” Xian Xian cleared its throat and continued, “It said that saplings like them are really rare across the universe. As they can store large amounts of nova source, they’re often used as supplemental power sources for divine astralships! When the big dumbo was still a sapling, it served as one such power source. The nova source it absorbed could be used to power those ships and fuel cultivation as well. The only difference between the nova source it stores and releases and that of the sun is the rate of release.

“Nova source in the form of plant energy is released slightly slower, so it can’t be used to power the formations of divine astralships, which often require large bursts of power. So, it can’t be used for assault astralships like the Sun Palace. However, it can be used for high-speed travel across the cosmic aether. Once the nova source stored within the saplings is used up, they can be recharged by bringing the saplings to a nova source world. The thirty-five pairs of saplings can probably be used to power the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb once they’ve all been charged up in Orderia.”

Tianming only lacked a power source for that divine astralship. “Does the divine tree know I have it?”

“Well, it didn’t… so I told it,” Xian Xian shyly said.

Once more, Tianming was in awe of the wondrous lifeform.