Ahead, a massive tree stump emerged. It rose only one zhang above the ground, yet its width spanned a full ten thousand zhang in circumference.
In other words, before it was felled, the original tree must have been ten thousand zhang thick.
Ten thousand zhang thick. What kind of colossal tree was that?
The tree demon Lin Xiao and Long Tutian had encountered earlier, the one that had ensnared the Yin Demon, was merely a hundred zhang thick.
A tree a hundred zhang thick already reached ten thousand zhang in height. A tree ten thousand zhang thick, how tall must it have been in its prime? A million zhang, perhaps?
What species could grow to such a size?
It defied imagination. The surface of the stump was perfectly flat and smooth, as though severed by a single, flawless cut.
A tree ten thousand zhang thick, even if not demonised, would surely have been extraordinary. If someone had truly levelled it with one strike, that alone testified to unimaginable power.
The four of them stood staring at the vast stump, stunned for a long while.
“Could those vines have been the roots of this stump?”
Huo Ruyan asked in astonishment.
“But if they were its roots, the closest areas should have been the strongest. Yet no skeletons appeared nearby. Why did it strike a second time thousands of li away instead of waiting until we reached here?”
Qing Yan puzzled aloud.
After travelling with this group for some time, even he had grown sharper, but this question eluded him.
“If they truly were its roots, it would explain why everyone who entered this region was drained dry thousands of li out. No one ever made it this far.”
Long Tutian answered for Huo Ruyan. His gaze swept into the distance, then his eyes suddenly lit up in surprise. “There’s a stone stele in the centre of the stump?”
“Hm?”
Lin Xiao and the other two shifted their attention to a spot five thousand zhang away, right in the middle.
Indeed, a small stone stele stood there.
“In the summoning sensation, I faintly caught the word ‘suppress’. Could that stele be what’s suppressing this stump?”
Lin Xiao immediately ventured.
“Let’s go and see.”
Long Tutian was eager, curiosity burning strongly.
Lin Xiao raised a hand to halt him, first ordering the battle skeleton forward. It landed on the stump and walked across the surface.
After a considerable time, nothing happened.
Then Lin Xiao commanded the skeleton to attack the stump.
No matter how fiercely the skeleton struck, the wood remained unscathed, not even a scratch visible.
This left all four deeply shocked.
The battle skeleton possessed at least Martial Saint level strength. Even Martial Saint power could not mark the stump?
Who, then, could have cut down such an immense tree with a single blow?
“Could it have been the work of a Martial Emperor?”
The mere thought sent a chill through Lin Xiao.
But that was beyond what he could deduce.
Regardless of the skeleton’s efforts, the stump showed no response.
Lin Xiao then directed it five thousand zhang forward to the small stele.
The entire stump and its surroundings remained silent.
This eased the tension in the four of them slightly.
The stump appeared lifeless, or perhaps thoroughly suppressed. It seemed there was little danger.
After exchanging glances, they cautiously flew onto the stump.
The moment they entered the space above it, Lin Xiao felt his spirit lift, as though his mind had suddenly cleared.
Previously cultivated techniques and martial skills seemed to illuminate instantly, granting him fresh insights.
“Why do I feel as if my comprehension has sharpened?”
Qing Yan spoke first.
“Comprehension?”
Lin Xiao was taken aback, but Qing Yan’s words rang true. It did feel exactly like that.
“I feel it too. Techniques and skills that eluded me suddenly seem on the verge of full understanding.”
Long Tutian added.
“The same for me.”
Huo Ruyan confirmed.
“Could this tree grant enlightenment?”
Lin Xiao wondered aloud.
“Enlightenment tree? Could it be the legendary Dao Comprehension Tree?”
Qing Yan suddenly recalled something.
“Dao Comprehension Tree?”
The other three looked baffled.
What legend was that?
None of them had ever heard of it.
Did such a tree truly exist?
“I’ve only seen mentions in ancient spirit beast records. Legend tells of a wondrous tree. Sitting beneath it or climbing upon it allows beasts to awaken intelligence, turning ordinary wild creatures into spirit beasts. Spirit beasts cultivating nearby advance swiftly in cultivation.”
Qing Yan explained.
It was merely anecdotal, with no concrete proof.
“In this vast world, countless marvels exist. Such a tree is not impossible. If this is one, we have stumbled upon great fortune. Still, something feels off. We should remain cautious.”
Lin Xiao cautioned.
A normal tree would be one thing, but this was merely a stump, a stump of unimaginable scale.
That alone was strange.
The three nodded, staying vigilant as they pressed on.
They reached the stele without any odd occurrences.
As they drew close, Lin Xiao saw the monument, roughly half a zhang wide, three or four chi thick, and several zhang tall. Half was embedded in the stump, the exposed half bearing an ancient, twisting character he could decipher as “Lin”.
Faint bloodstains traced the character.
Those stains seemed to draw the eye irresistibly. Lin Xiao found his gaze locked upon them.
Moreover, he sensed a profound connection, not from the stele itself, but from the blood upon it.
“Blood…” A frail, ancient voice faintly emanated from the “Lin” character, reaching Lin Xiao’s ears. His own blood surged inexplicably, as though stirred by some force.
“The stele is calling to me. The character upon it is summoning me!”
Lin Xiao cried out in alarm.
The others started in shock. Huo Ruyan exclaimed, “That blood matches yours, or at least you share the same bloodline.”
As a blood demon physique cultivator, she was acutely sensitive to blood and deeply knowledgeable about it.
She had used Lin Xiao’s blood against the vines earlier and could confirm the stains were identical.
Hearing this, Lin Xiao’s heart jolted.
The blood shared his lineage?
The character was “Lin”, his own surname, and the bloodline matched. Could an ancestor of the Lin family have imprinted their blood upon the stele?
If so, why?
To suppress this colossal tree?
