Renewal lifted his head, a strange expression spreading across his face.
As Saliva dripped down his lips .
Whenever Renewal was in a bad situation, he would imagine himself in a better one. Not out of foolishness—but because he had been mentally abused by his parents from a young age.
Because of that, he developed an anxiety disorder.
Renewal felt his past returning to him, his teeth grinding tightly.
The six immortals standing near the man holding the face artifact showed cold expressions.
The man slowly turned around, revealing a pleasant smile.
He lightly touched his chin.
"Why are you all here now? I thought you were still spying on the immortal ship of the Immortal Continent?"
The man in the middle spoke, his tone low and dangerous.
"We were bored… so we came to see how you would beat Renewal's ass… Sheng Zoi Bai."
Renewal froze, slowly turning his head.
"Sheng Zoi Bai…?"
"Sheng Zoi Bai…!"
"What…?"
Who was Sheng Zoi Bai?
How could someone like that frighten Renewal so much?
We have to go back three million years ago—the same era when Renewal awakened.
Renewal felt his own head gonna to explode
As he stood up
Is he truly the same tree guy
It can't be
No
It can't be
.....
At the heart of a jungle stood many slender trees, their large leaves covering the sky and blocking out the sunlight. The ground was covered in thick grass, roots, bushes, and flowers.
Heavy breathing could be heard echoing through the forest.
It was Renewal.
He was running alongside the Mortal Ruler.
The Mortal Ruler looked behind him with a frightened expression.
"Uncle, we can explain why we ate your—"
"AHHH!"
The Mortal Ruler screamed.
Up ahead stood a tall, bulky man wearing a thin white robe, with a cape draped from his shoulders down to his knees. His arms were covered by heavy pauldrons.
Then—he started running toward them.
"You idiot!" Renewal shouted. "You ate the only watermelon Sheng Zoi Bai needed to bring rain to this forest!"
Renewal froze, shocked.
"Yeah, Mortal Ruler! See what you've done!"
The Mortal Ruler's eyes nearly popped out as he smacked Renewal's head.
"Fool! You were the one who said we wouldn't get in trouble if we ate one!"
Renewal held his head and yelled back,
"Idiot! You said your uncle wouldn't be that pissed off!"
Suddenly, both of them froze.
A cold chill ran down their spines as they slowly looked forward.
Bam.
A few minutes later…
The Mortal Ruler sat on a rock, holding his head and shedding tears.
Renewal stood nearby, covering his left eye with a headband.
A massive bump had formed on the Mortal Ruler's head. He tried to press it down—but only felt more pain.
"Ahhh… Uncle, see what you've done…"
"Who is to blame?" the uncle replied calmly.
The bulky man stepped out of the forest, carrying large pieces of wood.
"Shibai, did you talk to him?" he called out.
The Mortal Ruler looked up.
A massive robot appeared.
It was Shibai.
He raised his head as large amounts of water flowed down his metallic body like a waterfall.
He wore a crude crown made of mud and thorns, while shaping another crown from water.
"Man, Uncle, I was just sleeping!" Shibai said.
The uncle showed an annoyed expression, stroking his beard.
"Idiot. You can't even sleep. What kind of idiot are you? You're a robot."
"Oh…"
Shibai scratched his metal
While shaping another crown from water, Shibai suddenly paused.
"Ah… sorry, Uncle. Oh yeah!" he said, scratching the metal helmet around his head. "He said he won't bring any rain for the next two weeks—only next month."
The uncle's expression turned ugly.
"If that happens, more people will come and take this land," he said coldly. "They'll build stupid temples, pavilions, even jade palaces here… and all the animals will either die or turn into lost spirits."
The Mortal Ruler sat quietly, holding a dead fish and poking it with a stick.
Renewal stood nearby, listening.
After a moment, he turned around.
"What do you mean… other people will come and take this place?"
The old man dropped the wood in his hands. The pieces scattered across the ground.
He turned slowly and looked at Renewal.
Then, he smiled.
He knelt down slightly and spoke in a calm voice.
"Originally, this place where you're staying… was never free, my friend. We are merely guests here."
He paused.
"This land belongs to seven experts… known as the Six Rainbow Colours Sect, all at the Peak Artist rank."
"The Father of All Humanity owns the mortal world… but he also owns many mystical forests like this one."
He gestured around them.
"This forest is called Wo Bai Forest."
"It was considered a failure."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"He tried placing mystical animals here—ones at the Peak Artist rank. But it failed. Only Sage-ranked creatures survived."
"So, he decided to give it to his brother's clan."
"But seven others competed for it."
The old man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"One of them… my old enemy—and also my best friend—said he wanted to hand this place to me."
"But the others disagreed."
"So a bet was made."
"The Father of All Humanity declared it himself."
"Whoever can make this jungle the most beautiful… and bring the most life—both normal and mystical animals—will gain full control over this land."
He looked up at the sky.
"But it's not easy."
"To bring life here, we need water."
"Rivers… lakes… something for fish, deer, crocodiles—any living thing."
"But rain barely falls in this forest."
He lowered his voice.
"So… I secretly relied on a friend."
"He cultivated the Water Soul Transformation."
"But he is only a tree… and he needs melons to survive."
He glanced at Shibai.
"Shibai recently gave him one."
"But as you just heard… it will take weeks."
The old man turned around.
Renewal was already asleep.
The old man froze in shock.
"…Foolish idiot."
BAM!
The Mortal Ruler yawned, leaning back against a rock as he opened his eyes.
In front of him—
Renewal was getting slapped by his uncle again.
The Mortal Ruler froze.
Crap… I'm next.
He sighed and looked up at the sky.
The sunlight slowly filtered through the leaves.
"The morning is actually… pretty nice."