"You can't smell it?" Yang Kai responded with a question of his own.
Mu Na gave him a helpless look, knowing he was being guarded, so she said, "Legend has it that in ancient times, there existed a mystical tree called the Azure, displaying both gold and silver colors that merged together, sealing all things. Am I correct?"
Yang Kai stared at her wide-eyed, practically ready to give her a thumbs-up.
She could smell even that — it was nothing short of miraculous. The Wood Spirit clan truly deserved their reputation as a race born with an innate ability to communicate with plants. Sealed within his dantian was pure ancient demonic energy, restrained precisely by the gold-and-silver sealing power of the Azure Tree. It was only natural that some trace of its aura leaked out. Others, lacking the Wood Spirits' unique gift, naturally couldn't detect it.
But before the Wood Spirit clan — especially before the Wood Spirit clan's Matriarch — that faint aura was as bright and conspicuous as a lantern in the dark.
Reading his expression, Mu Na needed no confirmation. She was stunned. "You actually possess the Azure Tree?"
Yang Kai chuckled. "Acquired by chance. Purely by chance."
Mu Na said with envy, "Your luck really is something." Then she suddenly frowned. "But there seems to be another kind of aura on you. That aura is…"
Yang Kai's heart lurched. It was one thing for Mu Na to smell the Azure Tree — though it was legendary, its power was nothing more than sealing. Yang Kai merely used it to contain the ancient demonic energy in his dantian. Even if word got out, it wouldn't be a big deal. There were countless sealing methods in the world, and with his current strength, few would be foolish enough to come looking for trouble over the Azure Tree.
But the other tree was a different matter entirely. If news of its existence spread, it could throw the entire Star Boundary into chaos.
It represented the secret of immortality and deathlessness! Immortality was irresistibly tempting. Even Great Emperors couldn't guarantee their own eternal existence — even they had limits to their lifespans. Yet legend said that whoever could refine that thing would comprehend the mystery of immortality and deathlessness, living as long as heaven and earth, shining alongside the sun and moon.
Yang Kai's heart was in his throat. Mu Na was far too perceptive — he truly feared she might utter the words "Ageless Tree."
If she did, he really wouldn't know how to respond. With anyone else, he could simply kill them to keep the secret. But Mu Na had no enmity with him; in fact, their relationship was rather cordial. The Wood Spirit clan was a peaceful race that shunned conflict. How could Yang Kai bring himself to do such a thing to them? If he did, he wouldn't merely offend the Wood Spirits — the Stone Puppet clan would likely cast him out as well.
Fortunately, after hesitating for a long while, Mu Na shook her head. "I can't quite tell what that aura is."
Yang Kai immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Mu Na clucked her tongue in amazement. "To think there exists a plant in this world that our Wood Spirit clan cannot identify. The vast world truly holds endless wonders."
Yang Kai laughed awkwardly. "Perhaps the Matriarch simply misidentified it."
"Impossible!" Mu Na denied flatly, completely oblivious to Yang Kai's racing heart. She looked up, her eyes bright with excitement. "Leave it to me!"
Her beautiful eyes actually radiated a shimmering divine light, making her look extremely eager.
"What?" Yang Kai was taken aback.
Mu Na said, "I'm saying, hand over the Azure Tree and that other thing to me."
"Are you joking?!" Yang Kai was furious. He'd had a decent impression of Mu Na until now, but this sudden demand immediately put a sour taste in his mouth. The Azure Tree was something he absolutely could not hand over — he still relied on its gold-and-silver power to seal the demonic energy. Without it, the day he was forced to unseal his dantian, he would almost certainly fall into the demonic path and lose himself.
As for the Ageless Tree, that was even more out of the question. A supreme treasure of heaven and earth that could revive the dead and regrow flesh on bone — an essential healing treasure for any household — how could he just give it away?
Mu Na hurriedly said, "I can trade something for it. You know the things our Wood Spirit clan cultivates…"
Yang Kai raised his hand and cut her off. "There's no need to discuss this further, Matriarch. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
Sensing the cold edge in his words, Mu Na suddenly came back to herself — it seemed she had offended him. That meant the thing even she couldn't identify must be unimaginably precious.
But what in this world could be both unidentifiable by her senses and extraordinarily valuable? Names from legend flickered unbidden through her mind, one after another, yet none could be matched to that peculiar scent.
Yang Kai had already walked to the tree hollow and turned back to look at Mu Na.
Mu Na was about to press further, but meeting his gaze, she sighed. With a wave of her hand, the sealed tree hollow reopened. Yang Kai ducked through it without hesitation — and not opening it wasn't really an option, since a single punch from him would have shattered it anyway.
Hovering in midair, Mu Na pondered for a long time before her figure suddenly blurred and she shot off into the sky.
Yang Kai returned to his small treehouse and conducted a thorough inspection to confirm the spatial formation had been properly arranged. Only then did he head toward the Elder's treehouse.
Stepping inside, Yang Kai said, "Elder, matters here are settled, and I should be heading back. Xiao Xiao and the situation at the Blood Gate will require your continued watchful care. If there are any signs of trouble, please do keep me informed."
The Elder nodded. "Rest assured. Shi Jiu is also a clansman of ours — naturally, we will not be negligent."
"Then we shall meet again." Yang Kai cupped his fists and turned to leave, not once glancing at Mu Na perched on the Elder's shoulder.
Seeing Yang Kai about to depart, Mu Na suddenly reached out and tugged on the Elder's ear. The Elder winced, then raised his hand. "Wait a moment!"
Yang Kai turned back. "Does the Elder have something else to discuss?"
The Elder looked somewhat sheepish. "It's not me — it's Matriarch Mu Na…"
Yang Kai cut him off directly. "I've already made myself perfectly clear to the Matriarch earlier. There's no need to bring this up again."