Pa!

The loud sound of a slap echoed in the valley, Jiang Yuebai’s leaves trembled, and the whole grass laughed and fell to the ground.

The white deer returned from outside, planted two grass seeds, and went to eat the Thousand Autumn Vine Leaves, only to have its face slapped by them, and the white deer was petrified on the spot.

The leaves of the Thousand Autumn Vine stood proudly, "Either eat me completely, or I will leave here and return to the Ten Thousand Wood Forest. Plants and trees cultivate independence; I want to be a vine with character."

The white deer was puzzled, watching the vines of the Thousand Autumn Vine curl and descend from the rocks the white deer had specially found for it to rest, and before leaving, a vine swept over and shattered the stone that made it look like an ornamental plant.

The white deer retreated in terror, shaking its head in disbelief as it looked at the debris strewn around—not the mountain stone, but its heart was shattered!

Thousand Autumn Vine led the way to leave, the Jade Mushroom hesitated a moment before burrowing underground to follow, while the Mystic Frost Flower glanced at the white deer, then at the departing companions, and eventually dragged its overly heavy flower head to catch up with them.

The three of them spent much more time together than they did with the white deer.

All around, the little demons that had long been neglected by the white deer, with no one to care for them, silently left as well.

Suddenly, there was a rustle throughout the valley, as the Little Grass Demons lit up their root tips and left the valley, returning to the Ten Thousand Wood Forest, back to their original habitat.

Though life here was good, the lack of wind, frost, rain, and dew was extremely detrimental to their long-term development.

Jiang Yuebai mischievously did a good deed, which turned out to be helpful for them.

Youyou!

The white deer cried out anxiously, intercepting from the east, running to the west, stepping on the north, while the ones in the south jumped into the lake, scurrying around to put out fires with little effect.

Seeing the time was right, Jiang Yuebai also pulled out her root and prepared to slip away.

Two Dragonfly Little Demons saw this, decisively choosing to follow Jiang Yuebai and leave with her.

You!

Suddenly, the white deer jumped in front of Jiang Yuebai, stamping its hooves on the ground, knocking Jiang Yuebai over, and looking at her with a pitiful and resentful gaze as if asking,

"Are you also leaving me? Haven’t I been good to you?"

The deer pointed its mouth at the Dragonfly Little Demons.

"You’re even taking away my little dragonflies!"

The Dragonfly Little Demons clung to Jiang Yuebai’s leaves in fear.

Jiang Yuebai got up and silently called the Divine Tree in her heart, "Aren’t you going to see me being eaten by it? I have something to ask you!"

Indeed, she had some matters to clarify with the Divine Tree before the Divine Sacrifice Ceremony. In the forest, any being within as long as they sincerely called upon the Divine Tree, it could hear.

After calling three times, a gust of wind brought the leaves of the Divine Tree sweeping into the valley, the breeze encircling Jiang Yuebai, making her gradually disappear from the white deer’s sight, no matter how it cried, it couldn’t stop her.

*

In a space of clear haze, Jiang Yuebai found herself changing back into a human form, parting the green mist and walking forward, she saw an Old Banyan Tree, not as colossal as the Demon Race Divine Tree, with lush foliage within her reach.

A woman with dark circles beneath her eyes, full of fatigue, was sitting cross-legged under the tree, nodding off, her messy green hair was a nest for a little red-feathered bird.

"Are you... the Divine Tree?"

The woman was roused from sleep, yawning and stretching in a drowsy haze, lazily rubbing the tears from the corners of her eyes, "This is my Spiritual Realm, however your consciousness sees me is how I will appear to you."

Jiang Yuebai nodded, "No wonder you seem like our Supreme Elder."

Not knowing what she thought of, Jiang Yuebai’s eyes glittered slightly, staring intently at the woman.

"Eh?"

The woman looked down, transforming into a man, then an old person, a child, then into an ox, a horse, a human body with a serpentine tail, a tiger-headed serpent tail...

"Stop stop stop!"

The woman waved her sleeves, reverting to her initial womanly form.

"Speak quickly, I’m so sleepy~~~"

Jiang Yuebai looked up at the Ancient Rong Tree, asking, "Are you and the Old Rong Tree in the Secret Realm Maze of Kongfang City one and the same?"

The woman yawned mightily, "The Ancient Rong Demon was a Divine Thought I left when I was young, otherwise, there’s no connection between us."

"Were you really there at the opening of the world?" Jiang Yuebai asked in surprise, feeling the Ancient Rong Demon had already lived a long, long time.

The woman scratched her head, getting pecked by the red-feathered bird atop her head.

"Many things from those days are a blur I don’t remember, only that back then people called me Jianmu."

"Jianmu? A Divine Tree among the Ten Great Divine Woods able to communicate with Immortal Gods? Can you still communicate with them now? Our Heavenly Interence Sect once had an ancestor named Lu Xingyun, who was said to have ascended to the Immortal Realm, can you find her and let me speak with her? I have so many questions..."

Hoo~~

A snore was heard, the woman’s head drooped as she fell asleep.

Jiang Yuebai frowned, "Divine Tree? My lord?"

"Huh? What did you just say? Oh right, yes, you were right indeed, very reasonable, go on."

The woman spoke with complete conviction, yawning, while the little red-feathered Xiaoque covered its face with its wings, unable to bear to watch.

Jiang Yuebai: ......

Never mind, it seemed best to focus on the main issues.

"My Lord Divine Tree, could you tell me, the origin of the White Vine given to me by the Ancient Rong Demon Venerable?"

The woman yawned, struggling to maintain her tired eyes open, looking closely at Jiang Yuebai, but as she looked, her gaze began to blur with sleepiness.

"Lord Divine Tree!"

"Huh? Right, right, what you said is correct, no, um... hoo..."

Jiang Yuebai sighed, asking the little red-feathered Xiaoque, "Her lordship sleeps so deeply every day, who handles the matters outside?"

The little red-feathered Xiaoque chirped tearfully behind its wings, using another wing to point at its own chest, and Jiang Yuebai immediately understood its bitter plight.

Jiang Yuebai sat down beside the woman, scooting closer to her ear, sinking her breath into her Dantian.

"Lord Divine Tree!!!"

"Ah?" The woman jerked awake, "What did you just mention? The White Vine, yes? That’s... the Rootless Vine, it’s... hoo..."

Jiang Yuebai was truly amazed; this quality of sleep was just like Xie Jingshan in his childhood.

Could it be that knowing too much, she had been punished by Heavenly Dao, and thus found it hard to stay awake?

Jiang Yuebai turned to the little red-feathered Xiaoque, "Master Que, do you know what a Rootless Vine is?"

The little red-feathered Xiaoque flapped its wings, sending a Divine Thought into Jiang Yuebai’s brow, within which lay all information regarding the Rootless Vine.

Rootless Vine, born without roots, feeds on the Power of Stars, its nature like water, can coexist with all plants and trees, inherently useless, after coexistence can use its own Power of Stars to enhance the companion flora...

After reading, Jiang Yuebai suddenly understood the ease with which she grafted other Spirit Plants onto the White Vine, realizing that the White Vine inherently possesses the trait of accommodating various Spirit Plants.

Moreover, Jiang Yuebai also learned that the Rootless Vine is said to be born under the Star Tree, one of the Ten Great Divine Woods, taking five hundred years to mature, another five hundred to bloom, and a thousand to bear fruit.

In the fruit resides the Power of Star Origin, bearing the Dao Fruit capable of certifying the Star Path.

Though abstract, she’s already seen tiny star blossoms bloom, does that count as blooming?

If it does, it still takes one thousand five hundred years to bear fruit—too long.

Dismissing unrealistic thoughts, Jiang Yuebai had other questions in mind, but the Divine Tree could never be woken.

Around them, the Clear and Mysterious Qi was even more saturated with Life Qi than by the white deer, Jiang Yuebai had done enough time as grass to faintly sense some Natural Dao Rhyme, significantly helping her comprehend nature.

"I’ll wait for Lord Divine Tree to wake up before leaving, you have no objections, Master Que?"

The little red-feathered Xiaoque: ???

Saying so, Jiang Yuebai sat cross-legged under the tree, directing her thoughts to gradually transform back into the form of the Cloud Mushroom Grass, absorbing the surrounding Clear and Mysterious Qi to cultivate.

Perhaps, before next month’s Divine Sacrifice Ceremony begins, she could transform into her Demon Body.

At this moment, perhaps Shen Huaxi and the others had already reached the Demon Clan, this upcoming Divine Sacrifice Ceremony promises to be quite interesting!