Chapter Sixteen: Spirit of Nature

To minimize the impact of the roots' movements on the ground, Ji Yu exercised great restraint in controlling them.

He first extended the roots beneath each toppled oak, then sent forth countless finer rootlets, like tiny barbs, from the main roots. These many rootlets, resembling black snakes burrowing through the earth, coiled around the oaks and gently lifted them upright.

Meanwhile, other slender roots carefully combed out the half-broken or damaged oak roots from the soil and raised the trees into the air. Once airborne, Ji Yu moved the oaks to the prepared pits not far away.

As soon as the roots touched the earth, Ji Yu pressed them firmly into the soil with the delicate tendrils. In just a short while, all thirteen oaks that had lain on the ground, awaiting death, were securely replanted.

Of course, that was not all. Several oaks stood too close to Ji Yu's own roots, so he relocated these healthy trees as well. As before, they were arranged in two neat rows, lining the path in a strikingly orderly fashion.

The only difference now was that Ji Yu, the sacred tree, had grown far taller and more robust, making the avenue of oaks—each about twenty meters tall—seem slightly less imposing than before.

Ji Yu’s handiwork once again left the nearby villagers astounded. Although they had retreated a safe distance from the oak, they had been watching in silence. The village elder gazed up at Ji Yu with eyes burning with fervor and excitement, his lips ceaselessly uttering words.

Watching this scene, Ji Yu felt none of the initial novelty. He barely spared a glance for the elder’s constant muttering. The so-called believers and rituals brought Ji Yu, the oak’s incarnation, no tangible benefit. In fact, it was the villagers who sought advantages via their ceremonies.

Human faith seemed useless to the oak at its current level. Was it a matter of insufficient life rank? Or was it simply the way of things? Ji Yu could no longer tell.

Still, since the oak possessed a so-called ritual enhancement trait, Ji Yu could look forward, if only faintly, to any future changes it might bring.

Having dealt with the surrounding oaks, Ji Yu glanced briefly at the tribal chief, then split his consciousness and descended into the pitch-black sea of awareness.

In the darkness, he easily spotted the nearest glimmers—the twenty-eight faint lights representing the oaks.

At this moment, the glow of these oaks had grown dim, six of them nearly extinguished. But when the vast globe of Ji Yu’s consciousness stretched out silvery threads to connect with them, their lights flared up and swiftly recovered.

Outside, the oaks with damaged roots and scarred branches rapidly healed. Their leaves unfurled, roots regenerated and delved deeper into the ground. In just a short time, all the oaks were restored, and a few even grew a little stronger.

When Ji Yu finally withdrew his awareness, he felt a faint sense of depletion. “It seems this resonance guidance trait mustn’t be used lightly,” he murmured with sudden insight.

The consumption for twenty-eight oaks was minimal, yet Ji Yu distinctly felt it. Though the oak was now large and powerful, Ji Yu had no desire to spend his own vitality on growing other oaks whose value was not yet evident—not unless absolutely necessary.

With everything settled, Ji Yu no longer concerned himself with the state of the trees or the surrounding rainforest. He had noticed the distant helicopter above the jungle and the group of outsiders approaching through the dense forest, but he paid them little mind.

No matter their schemes or disputes, Ji Yu was content to let the villagers handle them. He would only intervene if truly necessary. After all, his avatar came from this tribe, and as their patron, he ought to show them some favor.

Once the villagers settled in, another ceremony would surely follow. At that time, Ji Yu would grant them a small blessing.

His gaze returned to the canopy, where many birds and butterflies rested among the leaves. With delight, Ji Yu curled a leaf to gently stroke the most beautiful and endearing of the small birds.

The leaf coiled and bent softly, brushing the birds’ heads with the lightest touch. The birds showed no fear—some chirped curiously at the leaf, while others, half-drowsy, closed their eyes and trilled in evident pleasure.

Watching this, Ji Yu’s heart melted completely.

The bird-petting session lasted nearly twenty minutes. When Ji Yu finally came to his senses, he realized he had only two hours of game time left. Night had fallen over the rainforest.

He had intended to log off and eat something, but with only two hours remaining, he decided to ignore his mild hunger. In his current state, it was nothing he couldn’t endure.

So Ji Yu chose instead to continue his meditation.

After his breakthrough in life level, the system had issued a new guidance task. This time, the mission was clearly different from the previous meditation-based upgrade route.

[Guidance Task (Phase Three): Through the resonance trait, guide subordinate oaks to generate Nature Spirits. For every one hundred oaks that successfully produce Nature Spirits, gain +10 Vitality (medium difficulty).]

(Note: During resonance guidance, continually infuse fragmented common knowledge into the glimmers representing each oak.)

Upon seeing this, Ji Yu was momentarily stunned. “It seems fate rarely favors our wishes,” he mused.

The new guidance task was intriguing; a closer look revealed its implications. The reward of ten Vitality points was generous, but such generosity meant the task would not be simple.

Moreover, Ji Yu’s own growth depended on gaining Vitality through meditation. Yet if he had to use resonance guidance to foster the growth of subordinate oaks and generate Nature Spirits, this would also consume vitality, slowing his own progress.

If the game truly designed these tasks to enhance the player’s experience, as claimed at the start, then Ji Yu could draw one conclusion: after reaching Life Level Two, relying solely on meditation would make advancement much slower.

Therefore, the new guidance task existed to accelerate the oak’s growth.

In that instant, Ji Yu understood. “Resonance guidance is essential! Even if I don’t know exactly what benefits await, the game surely wouldn’t set such a task without purpose.”