Star Gate

“It’s not that simple!” Li Hao said faintly. “Not to mention, my personal domain is too small at the moment. It can only contain some weak Immortals—I cannot support Saints. Why else would I need your help? Of course, the senior is quite strong, so you’d be the greatest in the world if Saints cannot leave the ruins. You are formidable, senior, and would benefit heavily if you kill us…”

“I would never!” the redwood rebutted with alarm.

“I’m just joking.” Li Hao was coolly composed. “Why would the revered redwood ever do so? Please move aside slightly and shrink your primary body to enter the outside world with me. I will not force you if you do not wish it! I… do not lack for Immortal-level plant spirits.”

The redwood tree was abruptly unsure of how many aces Li Hao had up his sleeves. Dismayed with shock, its primary body rapidly turned smaller.

“Please don’t misunderstand, commander,” came its mental ripples. “This minor spirit is only worried about the main world. Now that I know that there are Saints still alive, I am much more at ease.”

“We do not need to worry about those matters, that has to do with the venerated personages. What are minor characters like us getting involved for?” Li Hao laughed. “The heirs of the Li and Jiang families of Tranquil Star aren’t worried, what are you worried for?”

The redwood tree tensed with nerves, only now learning that these two puppets were the descendants of the Li and Jiang families of Tranquil Star. It snapped to solemn attention. “So you are the descendants of two exalted emperors from Tranquil Star! This minor spirit has failed to show proper respect.”

Jiang Yingli and Li Shengzhang were no fools, they were just less experienced in the ways of the world. They grasped certain connotations at this moment and Jiang Yingli suddenly cursed, “Damned cretin! You were testing me just now! You have some nerve! You wouldn’t be able to break a puppet forged by the principal even if I stood here unmoving! You will die without a burial place unless this world is able to tolerate the presence of a Saint one day!”

“This really is a misunderstanding, imperial descendant!” the redwood gabbled with trepidation. “This minor spirit meant nothing of this sort at all!”

“Hmph!” The two puppets refused to further engage with the plant spirit.

Li Hao remained smiling, but his heart rang with alarm. He needed to stay on guard against these plant spirits. This one wasn’t the little tree. The little tree was a latter day descendant without much experience in the world. It’d simply inherited some memories from its father. This redwood, however, was a slippery old fox. He had to intimidate the other when hechould.

Unfortunately, it took a lot to scare an Immortal. With the strength of Li Hao’s group, it would be very difficult to eliminate the plant spirit if a fight broke out. Of course, that also meant that the other would have a difficult time of things as this fellow was stronger than the plant spirit supporting the Hus.

“Milord, this is all a misunderstanding,” interjected Lin Hongyu. “We should make haste and head to the other plant spirits as soon as possible. Now that they know that their replicas are dead, they might notify the other families to investigate the plaza. The third elder might not be able to hold them off for long!”

“That’s right…” the redwood tree hastily concurred. “That’s precisely right. Commander Li and the honorable imperial descendants, shall we head out first?”

“There’s no rush,” Li Hao smiled. “I just want to be clear on if the revered redwood wishes to enter the outside world with me. This will be a very dangerous endeavor. If I dismiss my personal domain… the revered one… will be sliced to pieces by the void! Aren’t you afraid that this is a trap for you?”

“Not at all!” the redwood hastily protested, belying the panic it felt inside. Had its probing words earned the ire of these mighty beings? If it had, it… wouldn’t dare leave the ruins. It would be relying on Li Hao’s personal domain in the outside world, and annihilation would swiftly arrive in its absence. The cutting power of the void was so much more powerful than imaginable. This was why no heavyweights had dared come out since the ancient times.

“It looks like the senior doesn’t trust us.” Li Hao smiled. “Then forget it, we’ll leave…”

“Don’t!” squeaked the redwood tree. “I mean nothing of that at all!”

It quickly shrank to the size of a human being and floated behind Lin Hongyu. Li Hao chose to dismiss his mental defenses and transmitted to Deputy Zhou, “Don’t send out your Saint-level golden body anymore, that’d be a waste. This redwood tree is such a base and dishonorable creature. If it wasn’t for the fact that it’s still of some use and I’d rather not waste some Saint talismans, I’d just kill it right here!”

“I understand,” the deputy responded in the same manner after a beat. “This is just as well since my golden body is actually my master’s from the ancient age. It might completely crumble away if I utilize it. While it can suppress Immortals and even outright kill them, the obliteration of my master’s golden body would be too much for me to bear.”

“Mmhmm!” Li Hao cut off the transmission.

The redwood shook slightly. A Saint level golden body? Truly? It no longer dared entertain wild thoughts anymore. Everything was possible, especially as everyone by Li Hao’s side came with a prodigious background. Since the tree had made its choice, it would rest with ease!

It had certain plans in mind before, but all of that drifted away now. These people were not targets to provoke!

……

Li Hao extended his personal domain as soon as they walked out of the ruins. It was a bit unstable and the redwood tried to contain its presence as much as possible. The domain didn’t look that dependable yet. The tree would be in great trouble if it broke.

The young man could also sense the pressure from the air compressing. It was becoming very unsteady because of the redwood tree. His characters of the five elements transformed into supernatural characters to direct their auras at safeguarding the four corners. However, the air continued to shake, terrifying the redwood tree to the point where it wanted to hitch a ride on Li Hao if possible!

This was horrible! It was gambling with its primary body to join the operation!

“Commander… do you think you can continue to maintain your domain?” the redwood asked nervously as they burrowed into the ground again.

“There won’t be much of a problem with that,” Li Hao laughed.

What do you mean not much of a problem? This has to do with our lives! The redwood had no choice but to transmit a message to Lin Hongyu. The woman was rather resigned by her need to ask, “Commander, the earth driller also churns through everything in the air. It’s so fast, will it destabilize your domain?”

Plainly, the redwood tree was immensely afraid of death and had made her ask the question.

“There’s not much of an issue with that!” Li Hao grinned.

“……” It was that answer again.

The redwood wanted to discuss it further, but the young man said coolly, “The domain will become unstable if you keep disrupting me!”

“……” The redwood tree instantly quieted down. It uncomfortably stayed in place on the earth driller. The vessel eventually deposited the group within range of an ancient castle according to Lin Hongyu’s directions.

There was some disarray inside the castle.

“Go to the City of Supernaturals and see what’s happened! Have the Arcanus brought out the replicas of the revered one in their sparring? Damn it!”

There were heavyweights in residence at the castle, but just like the Lins, only one Arcanus was left to hold down the fort at this time. It was clear to see that news had broken about the plant spirit replicas being destroyed, but no one knew what was going on. Perhaps the replicas had died in a tussle over cabinet minister positions. Maybe the fighting was so fierce that even plant spirit replicas were on the table.

A flurry of activity was underway at the ancient castle!

Li Hao followed these people’s movements and burrowed beneath them. A door with a haze of light around it vibrated as faint mental strength wafted through the air. There was someone here as well. The mental strength stemmed from a plant spirit and it was completely irate.

“There will be no good end in sight for you if you don’t compensate this seat with ten million mysterious power stones! Don’t think of receiving a single drop of Water of Life otherwise! Useless trash!”

“Our deepest apologies, milord!” Some old men at the door desperately pacified the tree. Shaking and trembling, they were clearly terrified.

“Ah, this is what it looks like when humans have attached themselves to plant spirits!” The jujube tree’s voice echoed in Li Hao’s ears. This was the kind of life that plant spirits should enjoy! What kind of pathetic existence did it suffer through?

That bastard Sky Sword only came when he remembered the tree. When he didn’t, ten years might go by without a visit. Look at this plant spirit! It’d lost an insignificant replica and was lecturing these humans like they were its grandsons! Now that was what the weak depending on the strong looked like!

The jujube tree was very jealous.

“Does the senior want that kind of life? I can give it to senior if you want it!” Li Hao transmitted back.

The jujube tree immediately fell silent. Forget it, I’d be terrified to receive it. These guys are here to take out the plant spirit’s primary body. Even the redwood tree’s primary body is here. The other plant spirit likely wouldn’t be making it out alive. This was its final moment of mightiness. The jujube tree didn’t want to tread down that path.

The plant spirit in question wavered with surprise for a second before its mental strength shot forward. “Who goes there?!”

The old men in the great hall beneath the ground looked at each other with confusion. BOOM. They promptly lost their lives as the scene went dark in front of them. An earth driller appeared in the hall.

“The Battle Heaven Army??” Fear colored the mental strength. This was an earth driller from the Battle Heaven Army! What was this doing here?

It didn’t have time to withdraw its mental strength before spear intent and two surges of sword intent stabbed into it! They obliterated the plant spirit’s mental spirit tendrils!

Li Hao led his people into the ruins.

……

A tree golden in color rustled in the ruins. “Who are you??” it roared, then paused with consternation. “Are you… the revered redwood tree?”

The redwood tree showed itself with a face on the trunk. “How have you been?” It smiled.

“How is this possible? The space outside is unstable…” The golden tree immediately understood that these people were here to kill it! They must be! They might be the ones that killed its replica!

It rushed for the entrance without further thought. Though it was a tree, it darted forward like a human. It had to flee!

The ruins were their resting places, but since one as strong as the redwood could walk out, then there would be no trouble for the rest of them.

The group blinked with surprise, then quietly waited for the next development.

A ghastly scream rang out as the massive branches that’d just extended forward shattered the void. The golden tree’s top and half of its body swiftly vanished!

etvolare’s Thoughts

Oh mah gawd this tree is an idiot.