Chapter 35: The Tree God

Chapter 35: The Tree God

True mastery lies in the details.

Watching the small ball he had failed to strike, Chen Shouyi suddenly realized that his seemingly formidable swordsmanship was merely a superficial display built upon his Martial Artist-level physique. Beneath the surface, it was hollow and unstable.

Martial Arts was not like studying—understanding something did not mean mastering it.

Memory was just memory. To make it truly his own, he needed to practice repeatedly, tempering himself through countless repetitions until the movements became muscle memory, an instinct of the body. There were no shortcuts in this regard.

The restlessness in his heart faded, replaced by calm focus.

Without hesitation, he began thrusting his sword at the small ball again and again!

……

Over a hundred kilometers away, on a small island.

This island was far larger than the one Chen Shouyi resided on, spanning five to six kilometers in diameter. It was rich in resources, with lush forests covering its expanse.

Among them, one enormous tree stood out, towering hundreds of meters high. Its jade-green leaves spread like a colossal canopy, blotting out the sky and covering nearly a fifth of the island.

At the base of this great tree, a tribe of several hundred people had made their home.

This was a rather primitive tribe, its civilization still in its infancy.

The more esteemed members—able-bodied men—mostly wore animal hides, while the young and women were largely unclothed.

Of course, the hides here were more than mere clothing; they were symbols of strength and status.

Yet, this tribe thrived remarkably well. The men were robust, the women healthy, and the proportion of young and strong was high.

Under the protection of the island’s Tree God, there were no terrifying beasts or dangerous natural spirits to threaten them. The tribe flourished, its vitality surging, with new births far outpacing deaths each year.

Five years ago, following a Divine Decree, they had sacrificed over thirty tribesmen to assist the Tree God in slaying a monstrous beast on the island.

Since then, for two full years, not a single unnatural death had occurred among them.

Until yesterday.

Before nightfall, two tribesmen who had gone out to fish never returned.

Night in this world was perilous. On the island, under the Tree God’s protection, no natural spirits could harm them.

But the ocean was beyond the reach of the Tree God’s great power. Those who ventured there were almost certainly doomed.

Because of this incident, early in the morning, before the tribe set out to hunt or forage, the Shaman gathered everyone to offer sacrifices to the Tree God.

The Shaman was ancient, his face deeply lined. At his age, he had already begun contemplating the afterlife.

In this world, death was not the end.

Once, while communing with the Tree God in a half-conscious state, he had glimpsed countless deceased tribesmen continuing their lives in a peaceful, serene existence.

Later, further communication with the Tree God confirmed this truth.

Rituals like these were not just a display of his elevated status within the tribe—they were also a way to earn the Tree God’s favor.

Such ceremonies were to be held whenever possible. And if conditions were lacking, they would create them.

The Tree God was incredibly massive. Not to mention its enormous canopy, the trunk alone had a diameter of over ten meters. No one knew how many years this tree had lived. Its bark resembled parched earth, riddled with cracks, exuding an ancient and weathered aura.

According to status and age, all members of the tribe formed several concentric circles around the Tree God. The innermost circle consisted of the Tribe Chief and the strongest warriors, followed by adolescents still in their growth phase, and finally women and children. Infants, of course, were not brought here.

For such a primitive tribe and a newly awakened, still-drowsy Tree God, the ritual was far from complex, lacking any formal prayers. Yet, despite this, the solemn atmosphere was palpable.

The elderly Old Shaman danced wildly, flailing his limbs and uttering incomprehensible chants. Soon, a goat-sized beast with its limbs bound was carried by four strong men to the base of the tree. The shaman produced a black stone knife, seemingly crafted from obsidian, and with a single slash, severed its throat amidst its piercing shrieks. A torrent of blood gushed forth, splattering onto the ground.

A faint, ethereal glow rose from the tangled roots where the blood had spilled. The beast, which had been twitching moments before, suddenly went limp, its head lolling to the side as if its soul had been absorbed. Silence fell over the surroundings. All the barbarians wore expressions of reverence mixed with fear, and even the usually oblivious children grew uneasy, clamping their mouths shut.

Amidst the glow, the Old Shaman sat with his eyes closed, his head tilted as if unconscious. Yet, none of the barbarians dared disturb the communication between the shaman and the Tree God.

After a long while, the Old Shaman finally opened his eyes, his face twisted with terror as if he had suffered a great fright. "Danger comes from the north!" he cried.

...

Unaware of all this, Chen Shouyi continued his training relentlessly for four to five hours. His accuracy in striking the fast-moving small ball improved from two or three hits out of ten attempts at the beginning to four or five by the end. Of course, Chen Shouyi understood that such rapid progress was only possible because it was his first time practicing. Further improvements would require significantly more effort.

It was like taking an exam—going from 20-30 points to 40-50 was the easiest. A little effort, or even just paying closer attention during the test, could achieve that. But progressing from 70-80 to 90? That was far from something a short burst of effort could accomplish. The higher one climbed, the harder each step became.

...

Feeling the gnawing hunger in his stomach, Chen Shouyi finally stopped. By the time he returned to the tunnel entrance, less than half a minute later, the soreness in his muscles had already subsided thanks to his Natural Healing ability.

He opened his briefcase and took out the cooked beef and bread he had packed for lunch. At that moment, the Shell Woman fluttered over lightly, proudly pointing at a newly accumulated pile of gold grains in the distance while shouting loudly, "Gem! Gem! Gem!"

Though Chen Shouyi no longer felt the initial excitement over the gold grains, he still went to take a look to avoid dampening the Shell Woman's enthusiasm.

It looked to be about three taels, and combined with what was left from the previous days, it had already accumulated to over half a kilogram.

Estimating the amount, he immediately took out three small glass beads from his pocket as a reward.

The Shell Woman gleefully accepted them, scrutinizing them under the sunlight like a miser before swiftly taking flight. She circled above a patch of grass for a long time, eyeing Chen Shouyi warily as if guarding against a thief. Seizing the moment when he wasn’t paying attention, she quickly darted into the grass.

Hidden by the foliage, she crouched down and used her delicate hands to dig open a small pit, revealing a buried shell inside.

She opened the shell and placed the three glass beads inside.

The shell was already packed full of glass beads, shimmering with a dazzling brilliance.

As if afraid the radiance would blind her, she squinted slightly.

Gazing at this "massive" treasure chest filled with gems, she felt utterly enchanted, completely lost in the moment.

Only after a long while did she snap out of it, hurriedly closing the shell and covering it back up with soil.

Putting on an innocent act, she flitted around in front of Chen Shouyi before quickly regaining her enthusiasm and setting off to search for more gold grains.

Chen Shouyi, who had been eating his lunch, finally looked up and gave her busy figure a speechless glance.