Chapter 726: The Old Nurturing the New
Everyone smiled with satisfaction looking at the group of game animals in front of them.
Cultivator Junjun nodded and said, "Not bad, not bad at all. Just as expected from the demons in the third dimension. Their meat isn't only firm but looks healthy as well. The expert will definitely like it!"
Dragin swept her eyes across the game animals and started to frown. "Cow, chicken, sheep, pig… There are too few of them. We can't open a zoo like this."
"Let's just bring them back first. We can always catch more in the future," said Nanan. Then, she turned to the broken tree next to her and said, "Sister Willow, Brother Li needs some wood ash. Can we dig you up and take you back with us?"
The Heavenly Palace people opened their eyes wide and were almost paralyzed by fright. Although the tree was broken, it was a super boss who had suppressed the seven dimensions before. Even Heaven was no match for it, and yet, they were going to dig it up? It was as outrageous as digging up one's ancestors from their grave.
Their blood froze in their veins as they stared at the sprout, afraid that a willow branch would whip them into oblivion. Instead, the sprout swayed slightly as if nodding, permitting them to dig it up.
The people from the Heavenly Palace heaved a sigh of relief. They chastised themselves for not trusting in the expert's awesomeness more.
Yang Jing gulped and then carefully said, "Goddess Nanan, how are you going to dig it up?"
Although the tree was broken, its aura was still overwhelming. It carried the power of the seven dimensions and it was definitely not something ordinary people could move.
"I'm going to use my shovel of course!" Nanan glanced at Yang Jing contemptuously. With a wave of her hand, she began to dig the ground around the broken tree with practiced movements.
Yang Jing looked at her, dumbfounded. He then sighed internally when he realized that the joke was on him.
On the other side, the Eldritchs were standing stock still and staring stupidly at the scene in front of them.
"I still can't believe that Heaven was suppressed so easily by them," said Gu Lie.
"Our foolproof plan has been foiled again!" said Gu Debai in extreme shock.
Gu Ai's face was pale, too, as he looked at the group of people in amazement. "How could such monstrously powerful people exist in the seventh dimension? Not only did they suppress Heaven, they even possess the ability to dig out the broken tree!"
Their actions were iron-clad proof that the people from the seventh dimension were not normal at all.
"What should we do? Should we fight them head-on?" asked Gu Lie.
"And be killed by them?" Gu Debai shook his head. "Look at the game animals around them. Some of them were second-step Wisdom Elites. You'll only become dinner on their table if you go over right now."
Gu Ai nodded in agreement and said, "Their methods are indeed extraordinary and unpredictable. They must have the backing of a powerful expert, one who could very well be as powerful as Ancestor Eldritch. We should go back now and come up with a new strategy."
On the other side, Nanan had dug a sizable hole and was tugging on the tree trunk with all the strength in her little body.
"Watch me as I, Nanan, pull out this willow tree!" She gave a low shout and with a loud bang, the entire tree was thrown over her shoulder. It was really astonishing to watch.
Blackie did not rest on his laurel either. With a wave of his paws, the Immortal Trap Rope began to wrap itself around the group of game animals.
"We got the wood ash and the game animals. The only thing left to do now is to bring them back," said Shi Tuqin with a smile.
However, they then discovered a problem.
"How are we going back?"
The portal they came from was a one-way portal, meaning to say, they could go to the third dimension from the seventh dimension but not the other way round.
Suddenly, Dragin's eyes lit up as she pointed to the void. "Look over there!"
In the void, a black vortex slowly emerged, opening a gap in time and space. The surrounding Wisdom caused heaven and earth to tremble.
"The portal has now become…a two-way portal!"
"We can go back now!"
Everyone was pleasantly surprised.
"All the portals in the third dimension were cut off by Sister Willow to prevent the unknown from spreading, so it makes sense that Sister Willow can open up the portal now that all the unknown has been suppressed," said Shi Tuqin with awe.
"You're really awesome, Sister Willow!" said Dragin with deep admiration.
"Long live the seven Battle Spirit Guardians!" said Xiao Chengfeng.
"Let's go home!"
Immediately, everyone entered the portal with the game animals and broken tree in their arms. The Eldritchs appeared near the portal not long after they left.
Gu Ai smirked and said, "Looks like it's not all bad that the seventh dimension people came here, for we can finally get out of the third dimension as well!"
"Brother Ai, while it's true the seventh dimension is really powerful, it doesn't mean that they don't have their weaknesses," said Gu Debai with a smile.
"Oh? Do enlighten me."
"The fourth dimension created a kind of bug called the Origins Devouring Bug which can steal the seventh dimension's Origins. I've personally tasted the Origins there and I find the taste to be quite alright," said Gu Debai, laughing.
"We've also sent some back to Ancestor Eldritch and he was full of praise for the Origins. He even requested for more," added Gu Lie.
Gu Ai's eyes were suddenly bright as light bulbs. "Oh my. Why are we still standing here? Let's go!"
Soon after they left, many beings who had been trapped in the third dimension also rushed over.
"The portal's finally opened! Hahaha! We can finally leave this place!"
"The aura just now was so terrifying. I bet even a second-step Wisdom Elite would be like an ant before it. I knew something weird was going on and was smart enough not to come here."
"I'm so glad I was born with a cautious personality. Not only did I not die but I can leave the third dimension, too! This is all because I resisted the temptation of the Origins."
"Let's go! This place has nothing to offer anymore. It's a wonder I didn't die of boredom here."
Nanan and the others went straight to the four-part architecture with their loot as soon as they arrived in the seventh dimension.
"Remember not to cause any trouble for me. We'll let you live as long as you listen to us. We'll even give you good food in exchange for your manure," said Nanan to the wild animals who just stood trembling with their necks shrunk into their bodies.
They did not dare to act cockily now that they were in the palm of her hands. Feeling both anxious and curious, they started to look around at their new surroundings and wondered if there was really a bigshot hidden there.
"Let's leave them here while we greet Master," said Qin Manyun.
Then, they all entered the four-part architecture, leaving the wild game animals behind to stare at each other.
"Ancestor, I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I didn't know the people of the seventh dimension were this powerful," said one of the demons.
"Forget it. These people aren't just powerful, they're preposterously monstrous," said the Crow King with a sigh.
"Yeah, didn't you see how they suppressed Heaven? We have no choice but to surrender willingly," added the ancestor of the Chaos Divine Sheep.
"We can only hope for the people from the fourth dimension to save us now." The Crow King paused and then asked, "Didn't you say that you were able to get Origins from here? Doesn't that mean that the seventh dimension isn't without its weakness?"
A strange aura floated in from the distance as soon as he said that. Then, they saw a swarm of strange-looking bugs.
"Huh? Why do these bugs look so familiar?" Some of the demons who had joined in the Origins stealing activity in the fourth dimension were startled.
"Aren't those the Origins Devouring Bug?"
"You mean they've been stealing Origins from here all this while?"
"Awesome! I can't wait to see just how they steal the Origins."
The demons were suddenly excited. They craned their necks and then watched as the swarm of Origins Devouring Bug rushed into the manure pit without hesitation.
"This familiar scent and this familiar shape… They're indeed the Origins!"
"I think that's a manure pit…"
"Oh my god! Have we been eating poop all this while?"
"Ah—! No—!"
"Blergh—!
"Oh god, why did you have to let me find out the truth like this?!"
The demons who had eaten the Origins descended into madness and the fur on their bodies stood up on ends. The faces of the Crow King, the ancestor of the Chaos Divine Sheep, and the remaining other demons began to twitch. All this while, they had been jealous of the demons who ate the Origins. Now, they were immensely relieved they missed out on the opportunity.
"Don't be sad. Look at how hardworking these bugs are. This means that those people back there are still eating it. Don't you feel better knowing that?" said the Crow King, trying to comfort them.
"Yeah, and it seems like the seventh dimension people brought us here to produce manure. There's no doubt some of it will be eaten by those people back there, too. Rejoice in that thought!" said the ancestor of the Chaos Divine Sheep while thinking that there was no way the fourth dimension people would come rescue them now.
Inside the four-part architecture, Li Nianfan was playing chess with Little Fox.
"Hey, Brother Li, you're really good at playing chess!"
"Wait a minute, I take back my move."
"Haha, let's see how you can win if I place my chess piece here!"
Little Fox used her cuteness to get away with breaking the rules but Li Nianfan did not mind because he could tell that she had a lot of potential.
He greeted Nanan and the others with a smile when he saw them. "Welcome home. Did everything go well?"
"Brother Li, we didn't just bring back some game meat for you but also some wood ash!" said Nanan happily.
"Really?" Li Nianfan could not wait to see what they had brought back. Then, his gaze fell on the broken tree. It looked to be very ancient and the trunk was covered with a layer of gray dust. It was indeed good material to make into wood ash.
"What do you think, Brother Li?" asked Dragin.
"Well done! This tree's perfect! We need to burn it to turn it into wood ash though," said Li Nianfan.
"Huh? Burn it?" asked Dragin with shock.
"Yes, it'll be easier for the plants to absorb it if we burn it. Xiao Bai, go start the fire. I want to make it into wood ash as soon as possible."
"As you wish, my beloved master," said Xiao Bai immediately.
A layer of weird gray mist was stuck to the roots and the trunk of the broken tree. 'Hahaha, I bet you never thought that I'd still be alive!' thought the gray mist in its heart. For countless years, it had been entangled with the willow tree, suppressing each other. The unknown attached to it would not be that easily erased.
'I can't believe that they actually managed to dig out the tree. Let's see where they've brought us…' It wriggled slightly, feeling everything around it. The next moment, it started shaking as it fell into extreme horror. It began to question its own life.
'What is this place? Why do I feel such a powerful oppression from heaven and earth? Could it be that this Heaven is stronger than me?
'No, it's impossible! How can I, the true Heaven, not be able to control the things around here? Heck, I can't even use my divine consciousness.
'Who created this world? How's it possible that it can override my power? Gah, I feel my power…being suppressed. No, it's going back to zero!'
Then, it felt that it was surrounded by a ball of scorching heat and the raging flames were burning and rising. The broken tree began to burn gradually, and a black carbon color appeared on its surface. The gray mist struggled in the flames, continuously melting before finally merging into the flames.
'I'm a reincarnation of Heaven! How can I be wiped out with such a weird method? This is impossible! What happened in the seventh dimension? Is this the work of the Battle Spirit Guardians?'
The gray mist finally became silent and was burned into ash along with the broken tree. Shi Tuqin and the others took a deep breath at the same time and felt shock in their hearts when they saw what had happened.
They saw with their very eyes how the peak of existence in all of the seven dimensions, though extremely weak in its current condition, was wiped out in an instant as if it was nothing.
To the expert, it was as easy as taking candy out of a baby's hand. He did not even really have to do anything apart from throwing it into the fire. Then, it was turned into ash as if it had been subjected to some irresistible force. It never stood a chance at all.
Li Nianfan, Dragin, and Nanan then brought the wood ash to the backyard and spread it on top of the soil. Some ashes were scattered with the wind and fell on the ground around the willow tree. Its droopy branches began to sway as the leaves became greener. Like how fallen leaves returned to their roots, old life became nourishment, nurturing new life. All things reincarnated, bringing a more glorious tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in the fourth dimension, Yun Qianshan and the others were smiling satisfactorily at the Origins Devouring Bugs who had brought back a full load of Origins to the Heaven Mystery Pavilion.
"Hahaha, here comes the Origins!"
"I wonder why it's been so easy for us to steal the Origins. All the Origins Devouring Bugs came back with full loads."
"Isn't this a good thing? We should rejoice in our good fortune."
"Yes, but the only drawback is that these Origins are a bit dry. They don't seem as fresh as before…"