Chapter Thirty-Four: Planting Trees

On the dark brown earth, strange mists rose, accompanied by faint howls of restless spirits. Amid them stood a handsome youth, his brows lightly furrowed, his whole body exuding a pure aura that enveloped the space around him.

Chen Ming gazed at the blood-red chunk of flesh before him. The meat still wriggled ceaselessly, but the consciousness within it had completely dissipated. Yet he understood in his heart that while he had succeeded in erasing its awareness this time, the root remained.

The blood-red slice appeared fresh, silently twitching, radiating an immortal intent. “Though it’s only a faint trace, it’s beyond my current ability to purify.” He looked at the scene before him, his eyes complicated.

Within the flesh, powers were brewing. In Chen Ming’s perception, a weak consciousness was being nurtured, slowly growing. The process was slow, but unmistakable; in several decades, it would coalesce fully.

He reached out, sensing the world around him. All around, a decadent, corrupted aura flowed ceaselessly from every direction, saturated with a suffocating depth. Yet around him, the power of the world surged and boiled.

Perceiving the boiling world-source and the inexhaustible natural forces, within him, a shattered divine core quivered gently, as if urging something. Instantly, clarity flashed in Chen Ming’s eyes. He stood upon the earth, quietly communing with the world’s source.

He prayed to the world, and the scene shifted. Somewhere in the unseen, a vast consciousness was startled, descending suddenly, cloaking the area in a potent natural force. Its power temporarily purified the land, banishing every trace of the abyssal aura.

This was the suppressed power of the world. The world’s consciousness, born from its very origin, governed its operation, but could only influence reality through the sea of source, subtly shaping it. Ordinarily, lacking a tangible body or intelligence, even when sensing danger instinctively, it could not manifest directly, bound tightly.

But now, with Chen Ming as its medium, the world’s consciousness seized the opportunity, pouring down countless streams of source power, determined to resolve the lurking threat.

“Still, it’s not enough,” Chen Ming thought, gazing at the flesh on the ground.

The meat was pressed by the dense source force, yet still breathed, its immortal demonic aura sustaining it, though its rhythm slowed dramatically under the pressure. This was because the surrounding source was too diffuse, and without a powerful life form as a medium to wield it, the energy could only instinctively gather and suppress.

Chen Ming eyed the eager source around him, felt the restless stirrings of his natural divinity within. Without hesitation, he drew a deep breath, and the shattered, ethereal divine core in his body suddenly vibrated, releasing a dazzling light of divinity.

With this divine radiance, Chen Ming declared to the heavens, “In the name of myself, Adis, God of Nature, let this place be purified.”

As his words fell, the world transformed. Time seemed to slow, and an immense consciousness descended in response to his oath and prayer. The natural source, once saturating the area, found an outlet and surged downward, coalescing into a force of nature that drove out the abyss.

Below, the flesh shrieked violently, brimming with terror and hostility. Its last vestiges of consciousness were wiped clean by the world, its body forcibly subdued, and a pale green, tree-like mark appeared upon it.

Yet somewhere unseen, an immortal demonic essence clung tightly, resisting purification, leaving a final remnant of its origin.

Seeing this, Chen Ming frowned. Though awareness was erased, its profound nature endured; now utterly suppressed, but if left unchecked, it remained a hidden threat.

He stood, pondering for a moment, hesitant, before a green branch appeared in his hand. Crisp and leafless, it was verdant like a fresh sprout, exuding pure energy.

The branch, as soon as it was produced, exerted a powerful attraction upon the ambient natural source, drawing it in ceaselessly to nourish itself. This was a fragment of Chen Ming’s own being, containing part of his essence and intrinsically attuned to nature.

He stepped forward, carefully planting the branch onto the flesh. Change began.

The surrounding source poured in, fueling its growth. The branch, nourished by the force, sprouted roots that plunged deeply into the meat. Branches and trunk extended, and under the inexhaustible influx, it seemed to leap across centuries of growth, rapidly stretching upward.

One meter, two, five... until it reached over ten meters, then halted.

Now, a towering tree stood in place, radiating purity, steadily purifying the surroundings.

The abyssal region, once saturated with demonic energy, transformed. The corrupt laws that had filled it were gradually expelled by another power.

It was the divine essence within the branch. The nature of a deity is not inferior to any powerful being, and after being strengthened by the source, it contended against the immortal demonic force, gradually dissolving it.

Chen Ming fixed his gaze, feeling anew. It was as if he had returned beside his true self, a familiar sensation washing over him and gently tugging at his soul.

The natural source still flooded in, but could no longer drive further growth. Chen Ming guessed this was due to the limits of his main body; until he reached a higher level, these detached branches could not ascend further.

The essence within the flesh was continuously drawn by the tree, converted into nourishment.

Somewhere unseen, the natural divine core stirred, becoming a bit more solid as insight flowed into Chen Ming’s mind.

He glimpsed a vast, beautiful world, and a colossal corpse crashing down, suffused with boundless demonic energy.

The corpse, triangular and six-armed, radiated immense power; even a wisp of its aura corrupted the endless lands. A faint immortal presence wrapped its body, as if it had suffered grave wounds. The demonic god’s corpse suddenly shattered, fragments of demonic flesh falling to create abyssal continents, spreading its corruption throughout the world, gradually polluting the world’s consciousness.

Somewhere unseen, the shattered divine core of nature resonated, communicating with the world.

After a while, Chen Ming emerged from the haze of perception.

He gazed at the tree before him, suddenly sensing an unprecedented vista opening to him.

Within, another ancient, intact divine core vibrated, and in its tremors, some change seemed to occur.

From the sky, golden virtue descended, forming a beam of merit that shrouded his head.

“At last, all the losses are recouped.”

Feeling the virtue light above him, Chen Ming mused inwardly.

Then he lifted his gaze skyward, where another transformation was beginning.