Chapter 40
After completing the mission and blessing his descendant, Zan Yunxiao's attention naturally shifted toward the reward.
The Seed of the World Tree.
Even the name sounded extraordinary.
With a thought, he retrieved the seed from the system space.
An emerald-colored seed appeared in his palm.
It was no larger than a thumb, yet it emitted a faint life aura that made one feel refreshed just by standing near it.
Without much hesitation, Zan Yunxiao planted it in the courtyard of the patriarch residence.
He even chose the spot with the richest spiritual energy.
After burying the seed, he waited expectantly.
One day passed.
Nothing happened.
One week passed.
Still nothing.
One month passed.
The seed remained exactly the same.
Several months later, Zan Yunxiao stood in front of the planting spot with his arms crossed.
The courtyard was completely unchanged.
No sprout.
No roots.
No signs of life.
Nothing.
The seed looked exactly as it had on the day he planted it.
Zan Yunxiao frowned.
"Did the system give me a fake seed?"
Naturally, the system ignored his accusation.
After staring at the soil for a long while, Zan Yunxiao began thinking.
"Could it be because it's a World Tree?"
"Perhaps a legendary tree like this requires thousands of years to mature."
That explanation sounded reasonable.
After all, ordinary spiritual herbs already required decades or centuries to grow.
A World Tree should be far more absurd.
Then another thought appeared.
"Or perhaps it requires a special environment?"
His mind immediately recalled the novels from his previous life.
Many stories described the World Tree as a divine existence that only grew where mana was abundant.
Meanwhile, his current world was dominated by spiritual energy.
Not mana.
The two energies were similar, yet fundamentally different.
Cultivators absorbed spiritual energy and refined it into their cultivation.
Mana, on the other hand, was more like an external force borrowed from nature.
The more Zan Yunxiao thought about it, the more likely this explanation seemed.
"If that's the case..."
His eyes gradually brightened.
"There is only one place suitable."
Zinnia Planet.
That world was overflowing with mana.
Even the air contained nothing but mana.
If any place could nurture a World Tree, it would be there.
Then a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Wait."
"What if I inject spiritual energy into the seed?"
The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded.
Perhaps it would awaken the seed.
Without hesitation, Zan Yunxiao extended a finger.
A stream of pure spiritual energy flowed into the World Tree Seed.
The energy entered smoothly and the seed absorbed it completely.
Zan Yunxiao watched attentively.
"...That's it?"
No roots, no sprout.
The seed remained silent.
The following days, he tried again.
And again.
Each time, the seed absorbed the spiritual energy without any visible reaction.
Months passed.
The result remained exactly the same.
At this point, Zan Yunxiao had already given up on the idea.
Eventually, Zan Yunxiao made his decision.
"Let's move it."
With a thought, he carefully dug up the dormant seed.
Then he activated Dimensional Travel.
Space distorted.
His figure vanished from the courtyard.
. . .
Moments later, Zan Yunxiao arrived on Zinnia Planet.
The familiar dense forest stretched endlessly beneath the sky.
After countless visits, the scenery was no longer unfamiliar.
Still, he remained cautious.
The white dragon and its kin were likely still lurking somewhere in this vast world.
Although he had no intention of provoking them today.
This trip had only one purpose.
Planting the World Tree.
After searching for a suitable location far away from the dragon territories he previously encountered, Zan Yunxiao landed within a peaceful valley.
The area was rich in mana.
Small streams flowed through the forest.
Ancient trees surrounded the valley.
It looked like an ideal place for growth.
Satisfied, Zan Yunxiao buried the World Tree Seed in the center of the valley.
After planting the World Tree Seed within the mana-rich valley of Zinnia Planet, Zan Yunxiao remained there for a while.
His eyes swept across the surroundings.
Another concern soon appeared in his mind.
"What if a wild beast eats it?"
After all, the seed was still in its earliest stage.
If some magical beast accidentally dug it up and swallowed it, all his efforts would be wasted.
Thinking this, Zan Yunxiao immediately spread his spiritual sense across the valley.
Soon, he discovered numerous beasts roaming nearby.
Without hesitation, he drew the Heaven Moonveil Sword.
Several sword lights flashed through the forest.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The surrounding beasts were wiped out one after another.
After clearing the area, Zan Yunxiao finally nodded in satisfaction.
"That should be enough."
Yet moments later, another thought emerged.
"What if the dragons find it?"
His expression became strange.
Especially when he remembered the white dragon.
That fellow had already spent thousands of years viewing him as some terrifying entity.
If the dragons discovered the World Tree, they might destroy it before he even had the chance to check on it.
For a brief moment, a dangerous thought surfaced in Zan Yunxiao's mind.
"Should I just exterminate all the dragons?"
The idea lingered for several seconds.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
"That's excessive."
The dragons had done nothing to the World Tree yet.
Besides, the white dragon was no weak opponent.
Provoking an entire dragon race over a seed that had only just begun germinating was hardly worth the trouble.
Eventually, Zan Yunxiao let out a sigh.
He had already done everything he reasonably could.
He chose a suitable location.
Eliminated nearby threats.
And confirmed that the seed was growing.
The rest...
Was beyond his control.
Looking toward the valley one final time, Zan Yunxiao murmured,
"If it survives, then it was destined to become the World Tree."
"If it dies..."
"Then it simply lacked the fate to grow."
With that, he activated Dimensional Travel.
His figure vanished from Zinnia Planet.
The valley returned to silence.
Beneath the soil, the tiny World Tree Seed continued absorbing mana at an almost imperceptible speed.
Unaware that its future had just been entrusted entirely to fate.
. . .
One day, while relaxing within the Patriarch's residence, Zan Yunxiao suddenly thought of someone he had not seen in many years.
His daughter.
Zan Feilan.
After so many years of cultivation and seclusion, he realized that more than a decade had passed since their last meeting.
He immediately summoned Zan Wei.
When Zan Wei arrived, Zan Yunxiao asked,
"Where is Feilan?"
Zan Wei smiled helplessly.
"Father, little sister left the clan years ago."
"She said she wanted to travel the world and gain experience."
"None of us know her exact location."
Hearing this, Zan Yunxiao frowned slightly.
Traveling the world sounded exciting, but it was also dangerous.
The cultivation world was filled with rogue cultivators, demonic cultivators, bandits, and countless unknown dangers.
Even though Zan Feilan was talented, she was still his daughter.
Naturally, he felt concerned.
Fortunately, he possessed the Clan Interface.
With a thought, a transparent panel appeared before him.
He searched for a specific name.
Zan Feilan.
Immediately, her information appeared.
Name: Zan Feilan
Cultivation Realm: 2nd Golden Core Realm
Seeing the cultivation realm, Zan Yunxiao's eyes widened slightly.
Then a smile appeared on his face.
"Golden Core..."
"When did she become so strong?"
The last time he paid attention, she was still far from that realm.
Now she had already reached the 2nd Golden Core Realm.
Even among many sect disciples, such cultivation could be considered excellent.
A trace of pride surfaced within his heart.
As expected of his daughter.
Then he activated the live-view function of the Clan Interface.
The image shifted.
A bustling tavern appeared.
At a table near the window sat a woman wearing a cloak.
Although her appearance was partially hidden, Zan Yunxiao immediately recognized her.
Zan Feilan.
She was calmly eating while listening to nearby cultivators discussing rumors from across the cultivation world.
Occasionally, she drank from a cup of spirit wine.
Her expression looked completely relaxed.
Zan Yunxiao quietly observed for a while.
The more he watched, the more satisfied he became.
His daughter had truly grown up.
She was no longer the little girl who needed protection.
She was now a Golden Core cultivator capable of walking the cultivation world on her own.
After confirming she was safe, Zan Yunxiao closed the Clan Interface.
The image vanished.
A faint smile remained on his face.
"Good."
"As long as she's safe."
With his worries gone, he returned to his usual activities.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Zan Feilan suddenly paused while eating.
For some reason, she felt as though someone had been watching her.
She looked around the tavern suspiciously.
After finding nothing unusual, she shrugged and continued eating.