"When it's time to strike, I strike! I charge through the nine provinces in a flurry … "
As Li Qingshan travelled, his drunkenness turned into something else. His loud singing shattered the silence of the jungle, startling countless birds.
Before he knew it, he had already travelled for three days and three nights. Who knew how much fine alcohol he had drunk and who knew how many exotic foods he had eaten. He passed by another great banyan tree, and his field of vision suddenly expanded. There were no longer any trees before him, only huge, intertwined roots that resembled dragons, forming a huge maze on the ground.
Leaping onto the top of a tree and gazing into the distance, his vision was blocked by a tall, greenish-grey mountain. The mountain was uneven, but it gave off a neat feeling. Looking to the left and right, he could not see the end of it. Raising his head, his vision was blocked by the clouds, so he could not see how high it was.
"Hmm? What a strange mountain!" Li Qingshan said drunkenly. The little phoenix on his back was already completely drunk, crying out a few times in a daze.
Along the way, he had passed by quite a few tall mountains, but this was the first time he had come across such a large, strange mountain. All the mountains and rivers he had seen in his life could only be regarded as dwarfs compared to this.
"That's not a mountain." Little Ann drank quite a lot with him, but his gaze remained empty.
"If it's not a mountain, then what is it?"
"Have you forgotten why you've come here?"
"Do you really think I'm drunk? Hahaha, just kidding. I've obviously come to Towering City to see the Banyan Tree King!"
When Li Qingshan reached there, he suddenly shuddered. He powered the Spirit Turtle's Method of Sea Suppression and temporarily suppressed his drunkenness. His eyes narrowed, and he gazed upwards. His gaze pierced through the clouds, reaching high into the sky. His eyes suddenly widened.
How was this a mountain? It was clearly a tree, a great banyan tree that blotted out the sun. It was where the Banyan Tree King's original body resided.
He had been moving through the forest the entire time, and the great banyan trees were like mountains in the first place. In his half-drunken state, he actually failed to sense that he had arrived beneath the Banyan Tree King's feet, mistaking it for a mountain.
"What, you don't recognise me now that you've seen me?" The Banyan Tree King's laughter came from high up in the sky, dispersing the layers of clouds and mist. The Banyan Tree King's majestic figure was completely revealed in front of Li Qingshan.
A majestic presence surged forth. It was not the presence of the Banyan Tree King — his presence had also melded perfectly with the world around them — but the sensation of a behemoth naturally emanating, as if it was a heavenly pillar of legend that held up the firmament.
Li Qingshan sobered up a lot. He praised, "What a 'great' Banyan Tree King!"
The Banyan Tree King smiled and said, "It's just a superficial appearance. I'm not as capable as you, little friend!"
"I've finally seen your true appearance. No wonder it's called Towering Sky City!"
Li Qingshan said. There were only a few people in the entire Nine Prefectures who could describe him, who was seven thousand feet tall, as "vigorous". Originally, he thought the Banyan Tree King should not be so huge since it had developed so many branches. It was even possible that it was the same size as other banyan trees. Now that he had seen it in person, who knew how many times larger it was. Only the Great Whale King he had seen in the South sea could rival it.
However, the feeling of length and height was completely different. "Thirty thousand feet" was only a few dozen kilometers on flat ground, but it was completely different when it was placed vertically. Even the highest peak in the world of Li Qingshan's past life was less than thirty thousand feet, and it was on a plateau. It was not that tall in the first place. However, the Banyan Tree King before him truly towered over thirty thousand feet. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would have struggled to imagine a sight like this.
"Why don't you come up? Don't tell me you've drunk too much and can't fly anymore?" the Banyan Tree King said.
"I'm coming!" Li Qingshan unfurled his wings and flew up. Little Ann followed close behind.
Having arrived several thousand feet in the air, he had just caught a glimpse of the Banyan Tree King's appearance. Li Qingshan raised an eyebrow. "Sun vines!"
A colossal, golden vine wrapped around the Banyan Tree King. It was like a legendary golden dragon, shining with a faint, golden light. No wonder it seemed much brighter under the endless shade.
Li Qingshan could not help but feel rather confused. The roots of the sun vines were directly inserted into the tree, absorbing nourishment from the Banyan Tree King's body. It definitely did not benefit the Banyan Tree King's cultivation at all, so why did it allow it to wrap itself around him?
When he first met the Banyan Tree King, he had received two requests, which were to get rid of insects and to loosen the sun vines. He knew that the sun vines were an extremely vicious parasitic plant. They could absorb all spiritual energy and basically did not fear any attacks from techniques.
If it was a branch, it could still be used for some defence, but who could oppose the Banyan Tree King in the centre of the forest? Who was bold enough to oppose the Banyan Tree King? Let alone the Banyan Tree King's personal strength, Li Qingshan had seen no fewer than seven Mutant Kings and Daemon Kings along the way. Coupled with those who had yet to show themselves, the forest was basically impregnable.
"Though, if such a huge sun vine attacks, it'll really be terrifying!"
Li Qingshan thought. He flew to the top of the tree, and a grand palace appeared before him. The Banyan Tree King assumed human form, currently waiting before the palace.
However, Li Qingshan's gaze landed on the Banyan Tree King's side. A woman hugged the Banyan Tree King's arm and rested her head on the Banyan Tree King's shoulder. She seemed extremely intimate.
"Lover? Mistress? I didn't think he'd like that! "
Li Qingshan wondered inside. The woman was beautiful and enchanting. Her figure was slender and soft, with a resplendent smile on her face. Her golden hair draped down, and there was a beautiful sunflower in her hair. She seemed so radiant, but Li Qingshan instinctively raised his guard. He was reluctant to approach her.
Suddenly, he understood. As it turned out, she was the sun vine, and the presence she gave off was clearly that of a Daemon King!
"Qingshan, are you satisfied with the reception?" The Banyan Tree King approached him. The golden-haired woman followed him closely, remaining close to him the entire time.
"Extremely satisfied!" Li Qingshan patted his belly and burped. He looked at the golden-haired woman and asked, "May I ask who you are?"
"You can just call me Madam Teng. This is my lord tree!"
The Banyan Tree King was about to introduce her, but Madam Teng beat him to it. Her gentle voice was like a vine winding around him, and her gaze only glanced at Li Qingshan and Little Ann gently. Even the little phoenix did not make her look at them for long. Immediately, she returned her gaze to the Banyan Tree King's face. Her face was filled with sweetness and attachment.
Li Qingshan felt his teeth ache. A scene like this was rare even among human couples, let alone two Daemon Kings.
However, a hint of envy flashed across Little Ann's eyes. He did not envy the intimacy, but rather the stubbornness of relying on each other and never being separated.
The Banyan Tree King seemed to be used to it. He welcomed Li Qingshan into the palace as he asked, "How does your journey feel?"
"I feel great!" Li Qingshan said sincerely. It was not only because of the good wine and delicious food, but also because of the unique "civilization" that existed in this forest. Just the different races of mutants that he had encountered alone numbered several tens. Although there was also hunting and killing, there was a sense of a natural cycle. Regardless of whether they were strong or weak, every life form had a place to live and reproduce.
When Li Qingshan spoke of his thoughts, the Banyan Tree King laughed heartily. It was obvious that he was proud of his life.
"However, you seem to have expanded too much. I'm afraid this is not conducive to ascension!"
"See! Old man, I told you that you were wrong. Even this little brother who came for the first time could see the problem. What good is this for your cultivation? What do those mutants and monsters have to do with you? "Madam Teng complained.
"I don't live for 'benefits'. Besides, if I thought like this five thousand years ago, you wouldn't be here now." The Banyan Tree King smiled. His attitude was gentle and amiable.
"But you already have me now!" Madam Teng said.
"Senior has a broad mind and a heart of universal love. It's admirable!" Li Qingshan praised. Although he wasn't a person who loved universal love, he admired the Banyan Tree King very much. Moreover, he could be considered as a direct beneficiary of the Banyan Tree King's love.
"You talk too much!" Madam Teng glared at Li Qingshan in displeasure.
"Don't be rude!" The Banyan Tree King waved his hand and said, "I have something to discuss with Qingshan. You can leave first!"
"I won't!" Madam Teng acted coquettishly until the Banyan Tree King frowned. Only then did Madam Teng reluctantly leave his body and disappear.
The Banyan Tree King said to Li Qingshan, "I've let you see a joke."
"Senior is old but vigorous. Junior admires you even more!" Li Qingshan teased mischievously.
The Banyan Tree King shook his head helplessly and invited Li Qingshan into the main hall of the palace. "I'm not as great as you think. I'd rather give up on ascension to help the common people. This time, I invited you here because I have a request!"
"It's not a request. What does Fellow Daoist need help with? Just tell me. If I can help, I will definitely do my best."
Li Qingshan's expression turned solemn, but he didn't dare to agree. Although it was his principle to repay kindness and enmity, something that could make the Banyan Tree King 'request' was definitely not a small matter. He could only treat it cautiously. Otherwise, it would be even more inappropriate to go back on his word.
The Banyan Tree King pondered for a while and sighed to the sky, "How can all living things not have requests? Even if it was a tree, it would still beg for sunlight and rain! When it gains spirituality and turns into a monster, its requests will be even more. Using my own strength to protect all living things is my wish. But since I've entered this path of cultivation, I naturally want to find a path to walk. But you should be able to see that the path I'm looking for is not to transcend the tribulation and ascend. "
"Then what path is it?" Li Qingshan asked curiously. Apart from transcending the tribulation, was there any other path to take?
"Since you've seen the golden cicada, did he use the well as an example and say that he wanted to jump out of the well?"
"That's right."
"This is what he's looking for. Jumping out of the well is to transcend the tribulation and ascend to a higher and vaster world. Which cicada doesn't want to break out of the soil, break free from its shell, and spread its wings to fly? But I'm just a tree. I just want to protect this part of the world! "
Little Ann said calmly, "Although the lifespan of the demon race is much longer than that of humans, and the grass elves are much longer than ordinary demons, it's not endless. There will come a day when it's exhausted."
"That's right. It's not that simple to protect this part of the world. If it's a dead end, I'm afraid I don't have the determination. After all, I'm also one of the living things. How can I not have the desire to live? Longevity is the most fundamental pursuit of all cultivators! "
"Then what should we do?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
