The Tree Transformation showed no fear of death, swarming toward the lizard creatures in droves.
When the ones in front died, the ones behind took their place.
Watching their method of fighting, Mo Ling finally understood why the Tree Transformation's numbers were dwindling.
They were all rushing to the battlefield to get themselves killed; no wonder fewer of them were making it to the Big Tree Cave.
Seeing the Tree Transformation being slaughtered so one-sidedly, Mo Ling could no longer bear to watch.
Mo Ling aimed his targeting frame at a lizard and began stripping away its flesh and blood.
When the leader saw the cubic voids appearing on the lizard's body, he shouted in excitement, "It's the Holy Relic!"
The fighting spirit of the Tree Transformation surged.
"Holy Relic!"
"Holy Relic!"
As they chanted "Holy Relic," they continued their assault on the now-defenseless lizards.
Mo Ling stared at the chunks of flesh he had stripped from the lizard and was lost in thought once more.
'This isn't a creature composed of Theseus Cells.'
Having killed so many creatures made of Theseus Cells in the sealed-off zone, Mo Ling had grown experienced.
After these creatures died, their Theseus Cells would slowly lose their camouflage, and their corpses would gradually turn transparent.
Then, the corpses would lose their structure and disintegrate. The entire process was very fast.
But Mo Ling saw none of these familiar phenomena with the lizards.
'In the Big Tree Cave, the place with the most severe mutations, there are actually creatures not made of Theseus Cells?'
'What on earth is this place?'
Before long, the Tree Transformation had cleared the battlefield. They gathered before the Block and bowed low.
"Thank you, Holy Relic! For bringing us victory!"
"The Qifang Tribe has long been ravaged by other creatures. We thank the Holy Relic for saving us."
...
While recounting the suffering of their people, the Tree Transformation piously declared their faith to the Block.
Surrounded, Mo Ling stared blankly at the members of the Tree Transformation who now completely filled his field of view.
The leader's face was filled with fury. He stood up and spoke to his kin, his voice filled with grief and indignation:
"We have waited for this day for so long. We can no longer afford to be weak."
"I have a dream that one day our newborns will be able to walk to the Big Tree Cave without a care in the world! That they won't be attacked, that they won't have to live in constant fear."
The leader's words resonated instantly with the Tree Transformation. They raised their arms and roared, unleashing a torrent of emotion.
"Drive them out!"
Mo Ling was also shaken by the intense emotion of the crowd.
He had thought they were a carefree species, spending their days thinking only of how to turn into trees—a very zen-like existence.
But he never expected the Tree Transformation population on the other side of the Big Tree Cave to have such a story.
The Tree Transformation lifted the Block and set off in another direction.
Their reverence for the Block grew, and soon, more and more of the Tree Transformation were carrying it.
Moreover, a large circle of Guards now protected the Block.
Mo Ling took the opportunity to observe his surroundings.
As they passed through more and more areas, Mo Ling finally realized the source of the persistent feeling of familiarity.
This place was like a copy of the sealed-off zone, with only a few minor differences.
Mo Ling now understood what the change in gravity he'd felt during his fall had meant.
It seemed that by passing through the Big Tree Cave, he had arrived in a reverse world.
Here, the Tree Transformation were born from trees, whereas in the world he came from, their purpose was to become trees.
A sense of unease filled Mo Ling's mind.
Carried by the Tree Transformation, the Block arrived in the territories of various creatures.
These creatures were all natural enemies of the Tree Transformation, often blocking the entrance to the Big Tree Cave and attacking the newborns.
The Tree Transformation loathed these natural enemies who had oppressed their people for so long, and they prayed fervently to the Block.
"We hope the Holy Relic can save us."
'It seems they've started treating the Block as their last hope.'
'And Mo Ling was keen to explore this area anyway.'
As creature after creature fell, the Tree Transformation erupted in ecstatic cheers.
But Mo Ling watched the fallen creatures calmly, his mind filled with doubt.
'Just ordinary creatures again. Where did the Theseus Cells go?'
'It was as if the Theseus Cells had simply vanished.'
Even the insects and plants were composed of ordinary cells. This place seemed completely normal.
Mo Ling had assumed the natural enemies that attacked the Tree Transformation were also mutated, rampaging creatures.
But from what he'd seen, they were just ordinary creatures that preyed on the Tree Transformation simply because they were so weak.
As the sky gradually darkened, the Tree Transformation's campaign came to an end, and the Block was brought back to their tribe.
Every member of the Tree Transformation had a look of irrepressible joy on their face.
The leader now stood on a platform, delivering a victory speech.
"Praise the Holy Relic!"
"Our enemies have been vanquished! Only one remains!"
"The Cave Demon!"
Hearing this name, the ecstatic members of the Tree Transformation exchanged glances, their smiles vanishing.
They began to whisper amongst themselves, looking terrified.
Seeing his kinsmen's fear, the leader quickly rallied them, "The enemies we once thought so powerful could not stand long before the Holy Relic!"
"The colossal Mad Lizards were hollowed out by the Holy Relic in mere seconds!"
"The elusive Black Shadow Beasts were unable to hide from the Holy Relic!"
"The swarms of Sharp Needle Bees that blotted out the sky were utterly annihilated by the Holy Relic!"
"The Cave Demon will be no different! All we must do is believe in the Holy Relic!"
With the leader's rousing words, the fighting spirit of the Tree Transformation soared once again.
"Brave warriors, rest well! Gather your strength! We will fight the Cave Demon to the death!"
"Tomorrow, it dies!"
"And then, our path to the Big Tree Cave will be clear!"
The leader didn't forget to dangle a carrot at the end.
Listening to the leader's passionate speech, Mo Ling couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
'He really knows how to fire up a crowd.'
That day, Mo Ling helped the Tree Transformation eliminate many of their natural enemies, and their trust in him deepened.
That night, they placed the Block upon a magnificent altar, with Guards protecting it from all sides.
Beside the altar stood many wooden totem poles, each one covered in carvings of the Qifang Tribe's totem: a perfect square.
Mo Ling studied the totems, a strange feeling growing within him.
'Why a square, of all things? How could it be such a coincidence?'
'From the moment he fell into the Big Tree Cave to the "advent of the Holy Relic," it was all too coincidental.'
As he was lost in thought, the leader ascended the altar.
He dismissed the Guards, wanting to worship the Holy Relic alone.
Once the Guards had departed, the face of the ever-resolute Leader of the Tree Transformation suddenly fell.
His spherical body seemed to deflate, and he grew listless.
He dragged his exhausted body over to the Block and slowly sat down, leaning against its side.
Gone was his impassioned demeanor. He was like a tired, middle-aged man after a long day's work, staring blankly at the sky.
After staring into space for a long time, the leader muttered to himself.
"Holy Relic, can you forgive me?"