Mu Lu shrank back at the words. Though they were Wood Spirits, innately attuned to flowers, grass, and trees, the idea of actually turning into a small flower or a little sapling was something she couldn't accept—let alone Yang Kai, who had been a perfectly fine living person.
Mu Zhu offered reassurance: "Master, don't panic. Now that you've refined the Ageless Tree and made it your body, as long as you cultivate diligently, there's no reason you can't eventually take on a human form. You must know of the legend of plants and trees achieving sentience—countless flowers and grasses in this world have cultivated over vast stretches of time, gained awareness, and transformed. Moreover, the Ageless Tree is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth. This may well be a blessing in disguise. Perhaps on the day you regain human form, not only will your strength be restored, it may even have advanced further."
"Valid point!" Yang Kai tried to nod, but could only set the Ageless Tree's branches swaying back and forth. "But you have to understand—cultivating as a plant is far more difficult than cultivating with a flesh-and-blood body. Even if I try my hardest, transforming into a human form would take at least a thousand years!"
Mu Zhu fell silent and was about to speak again when Yang Kai raised a branch to cut her off. "No more comforting words. Let me first figure out if there's a way to get out."
With that, the Ageless Tree grew still once more.
The two Wood Spirits watched from the side with anxious eyes. Not long after, Yang Kai's soul aura emanated from within the Ageless Tree. Moments later, that visibly radiant soul power actually flew out from the tree and reconstituted itself into Yang Kai's form.
Only now, there was still a lingering trace of alarm on Yang Kai's face, mixed with contemplation.
This time, refining and freeing himself from the Ageless Tree had been unexpectedly simple and effortless—as though there had been no resistance at all. It was nothing like his previous attempts, when he had tried repeatedly without finding any way in, to the point where he'd thought the legend was false.
The only difference between now and before was that he no longer had a flesh-and-blood body.
If that was the case, then refining the Ageless Tree truly required destruction before reconstruction. Only by completely shedding the constraints of a physical body could one truly refine the Ageless Tree. Previously, he'd had his own body, and so hadn't met the conditions for refinement.
At this thought, Yang Kai could only laugh bitterly. Setting aside whether the legend was real, even if someone other than himself had obtained the Ageless Tree, who would willingly abandon their own body to refine it?
It was only this time, by sheer coincidence, when his body had been obliterated beyond repair and he had no other choice, that he'd given it a try—and succeeded with ease.
If that was how it worked… Yang Kai's brows furrowed deeply as he sank into thought, his eyes gradually brightening.
At some point, he seemed to have made a decision and spoke: "I'm going out for a moment."
With that, his spiritual sense surged, plunging into the Ageless Tree and vanishing. A short while later, the Ageless Tree shook its branches, tore itself from the earth of the medicine garden, and—with its bare limbs writhing—shot through the air, instantly leaving the Small Secluded World.
In the void, where the Warm Spirit Lotus resided, a small tree roughly the height of a person materialized out of thin air. Two supreme treasures of heaven and earth met in this manner for the first time; the Warm Spirit Lotus had always resided within Yang Kai's sea of consciousness, and there had never been an opportunity like this before.
He extended a branch and enveloped the Warm Spirit Lotus. The seven-colored radiance washed over the entire small tree, shielding Yang Kai's soul from the corrosive forces of the void.
The person-sized tree pulsed with exuberant vitality as it traversed the void. Wherever it passed, drawn by that life force, scraps of flesh and broken limbs came flying in from every direction, converging upon it. In no time at all, the Ageless Tree was completely encased. At a glance, what sailed through the void was no longer a tree but an enormous ball of flesh.
The ball was composed of countless pieces of flesh, looking utterly grotesque—yet from within its depths, the aura of life was slowly being born.
Yang Kai was ecstatic beyond measure.
He had never imagined that his spur-of-the-moment idea would actually work. As time passed, the flesh ball grew ever larger, gradually taking on the form of a colossus dozens of zhang in diameter.
From inside the mass of flesh, heavy and slow thuds rang out in steady rhythm. With each beat, the entire ball gently swelled and contracted.
At last, all the fragmented flesh had come together. The ball hung suspended in silence, its thumping now full and powerful. On its surface, bulges rose and fell here and there, as though something were trying to burst free.
Inside the flesh ball, Yang Kai felt nothing but life surging through every fiber of his being—vitality so dense it was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. The person-sized Ageless Tree seemed to be dissolving, transforming into pure life force that merged into every piece of flesh.
The flesh squirmed. Broken limbs reassembled.
Yang Kai quickly felt himself forming a head, then arms, a torso, two legs…
In half a day's time, Yang Kai perceived his own existence once more—not as a soul, but as a genuine resurrection. A feeling of rebirth washed over him, bringing with it an indescribable sense of exhilaration.
With a heave of both arms, the massive flesh ball exploded with a thunderous boom, revealing the robust and heroic figure within!
Closing his eyes and turning his gaze inward, he found no hidden ailments anywhere in his body. Every part of him was in a state better than ever before. Not only had his physical body been reconstituted, but even the injuries sustained from his battle with the Great Demon God had vanished without a trace. Moreover, the vitality thrumming through every corner of his body was so overwhelming he could hardly believe it. He possessed the Dragon Clan origin, which had always given him far more vigor than others—but comparing his former self to his current state was like comparing clouds to mud.
The Ageless Tree had vanished entirely, merged into every inch of his flesh, every drop of his blood. He clenched his fist lightly, feeling as though he could crush the very void itself.
He opened his eyes and examined himself. Perhaps because he had experienced an actual resurrection, his current body was like that of a newborn infant—every inch of skin fair and translucent. Even his original white hair had disappeared, replaced by a head of jet-black locks cascading over his shoulders, dark as a waterfall.