The night was slightly chilly, but stars dotted the sky like scattered diamonds.
In one particular canyon, a hazy mist clung to the surroundings, giving the impression that something ancient was quietly gestating within it.
Yu Zi Yu was fully immersed in the depths of his body, appreciating the profound transformation brought about by reaching Tier-1.
Roots, stem, and leaves were the three essential parts of a tree — and each now possessed unique powers.
His leaves could generate a strange mist capable of inducing hallucinations and confusing intruders.
His stem had become his tentacles — thousands of branches whose hardness rivaled steel, and whose flexibility needed no explanation.
But the most terrifying were the black roots buried deep beneath the earth. Their power was immense, far surpassing even his branches, and their sheer strength inspired fear in all who glimpsed them.
Just their strangling force alone was comparable to a tangle of Tier-1 pythons attacking together.
This overwhelming power was the foundation of Yu Zi Yu's confidence in ruling the forest now that he had stepped into Tier-1.
Tier-1 was a true metamorphosis.
Below it, the nine levels of Tier-0 served as preparation — tempering the body to withstand transcendence. Beyond Tier-1 were the nine realms of ascension, each one more difficult than the last, forming a path worthy of awe.
According to the ancient knowledge buried in his consciousness, if Yu Zi Yu ever reached Tier-4, gaining a foothold on this planet would be effortless.
The thought filled him with anticipation.
…
Just then, Yu Zi Yu's branches trembled violently as he sensed something approaching.
Swish! Swish! Swish!Dozens of branches shot upward like javelins.
In the direction they aimed, a streak of starlight — like a calm shooting star — drifted closer. It wasn't fast, but it emitted a soft halo of light.
Approaching at this hour of night… it was enough to make Yu Zi Yu wary.
Without hesitation, he launched an attack.
But in the next instant, his heart sank.
His branches passed straight through the streaking light.
"It's immune to physical attacks!?" Yu Zi Yu was shocked and immediately halted his movements. As much as he disliked admitting it, his only real offense right now was physical. His hallucinogenic mist wasn't an attack — it merely distorted perception, useless against this strange energy-like being.
As the starlight drifted closer, Yu Zi Yu noticed something that made his entire trunk shiver.
Inside the light… was a familiar figure.
It was either He Qing Er or He Ling Er — one of the girls he had meticulously plotted against. The figure was blurry, wrapped in a faint glow. If not for the face, he might not have recognized her.
"Made of energy…? Could it be…?"
Then the status window appeared above her head:
Race: Human (Mutated Soul)Innate Skill: Immunity to physical attacksAbilities:• Enhanced Psyche (Awakened) – Allows brief existence in the world after death.• Telepathy (Awakened) – Her mind is connected to a distant, similar flower.
Yu Zi Yu stared blankly, lost in thought.
A soul… Hm. I suppose such things are possible now. The Era of Transcendents has arrived, after all.
Just then—
Whoosh…A gust of night wind swept through.
To Yu Zi Yu's surprise, the streak of starlight swayed violently like a dying flame — trembling as though it would scatter into sparks at any moment.
"Immune to physical attacks, yet vulnerable to the wind? What…?"
But after thinking, he understood.
It wasn't that the wind itself was strong — it was that she was already on the verge of dissipation. The breeze simply accelerated it.
Why his own branch-generated wind didn't affect her… he couldn't say. Perhaps the natural night wind carried some special property.
Yu Zi Yu dismissed the thought. The concept of souls was far beyond him for now. If transcendence shattered reality, then souls revealed an entirely new layer of the world — one he was not yet qualified to explore.
Suddenly, the flickering starlight paused, as if sensing something.
Then — like a meteor — it shot straight downward.
And its target was close to Yu Zi Yu.
"…?"
As confusion rose in Yu Zi Yu's mind, he suddenly felt something.
One of his sub-roots had gained something — something extra.
Rumble…The ground trembled as a black root slowly emerged, soil slipping from it.
Yu Zi Yu focused his gaze.
At the tip of the root… an ethereal girl clung tightly to it, holding it like a beloved doll. Her misty face showed pure satisfaction.
Unique Ability: Soul NurturingAs one of the finest conduits for wandering souls, your mutated roots are naturally desired by them. Trees can nourish souls — and none do it better than you.