Chapter 542: Partnership (II)

“Do any of these suit you?” Li Hao took out a few more origin weapons.

“No... but if you’re willing, I can absorb some of these as well. I’ll just need more of them to satisfy my need...”

Li Hao sighed. It took a lot of resources to nurture his little sword and now, this tree also required a ton. The dog could also eat a lot of energy. Compared to them, his own consumption was nothing!

But if he could grasp the wood aura, he wouldn't care about expending five origin weapons, much less mysterious power stones. A lack of these resources was hardly an issue if one was strong enough in this age!

If it came down to it, he could go for a spin around Red Moon, the three great organizations, the nine ministries, the royal family, Near River’s General Director Office, or even the pirates if he had no other choice.

Other than the origin weapons he possessed, he’d also taken a long blade from Sea Shark when he killed the pirate. It seemed particularly unique and not a typical origin weapon. It was durable beyond belief, but it didn’t shelter a weapon soul. Li Hao had sealed it and temporarily put it away.

“Do you think you can supply some core origin power for me to study if you absorb these weapons?” The young man took out five origin weapons. “At the very least, let me know the benefits of this special power. I won’t have much motivation otherwise.”

“I can try the earth armor, Heart Protector, and little black sword. The earth armor should be crafted out of earth dragon skin, the black sword from the corpse of a black hellhound, and the Heart Protector from a mountain pangolin...” the little tree rapidly identified. “The boxing gloves and wind chime are of a higher grade. I would easily waste them. The other three are made from lower level monster spirit corpses. I can give them a try.”

Li Hao knew that the wind chime was a high grade, but so were the boxing gloves? He thought of He Yong—the man had looked at them for quite a while, but Li Hao hadn’t paid it much attention then. Had He Yong been interested in them and too embarrassed to say anything?

The young man thought for a bit. He could offer some mysterious power stones, but origin weapons...? And three of them? The tree spirit might grow so much stronger after absorbing them and be beyond his abilities to handle. If open hostilities broke out between the two, he might’ve just signed his own death warrant.

“I’ll have my friend wait outside and call over a few more to stand guard over me. Is that alright?” he asked after mulling over the situation.

“......”

You might as well just say that you don’t trust me.

“My friends are stronger than me and know more of the world than me. They might have better ideas to help senior recover...”

“No need!” the little tree interrupted. “You’re just concerned about me taking in too much energy. I would not like too many outsiders to set foot in this place. How about this, you can leave behind this person next to you. He can meditate for a bit and you can make a decision after determining whether or not what I offer is effective.”

Li Hao looked at Liu Long. The man nodded with a smile. “We can try that, there might be big benefits! But I’m a water type...”

The tree might be a wood or life attribute. As such, its efforts wouldn’t be as useful for Liu Long. The origin weapons would be expended regardless.

“How about I send Li Heng inside?” Li Hao suddenly proposed. “We’ll explain the situation to him. He’s a half step Dominator now and studies the wood sword intent. If it helps him, he might be able to advance to Dominator. If that doesn't do it for him, then this means whatever the tree offers is of limited use to me too.”

“Him?” Liu Long considered the idea. “He’ll do, but... are you alright with that?”

“What’s not to be alright about?” Li Hao grinned. “Chief, didn’t you say so yourself that we’re all on the same team after joining the Demon Hunters? Besides, didn’t we bring everyone here with the hope of helping some progress further on their paths?”

“That’s true, I took too narrow a view of things!” Liu Long laughed.

“I have some subordinates outside, one of them practices the Weeping Willow Sword.” Li Hao turned to the tree. “He’s weaker than us. I’d like to have him come down. Senior can then devour the origin weapons and release some of the core origin power for him to sense. Is that amenable to you?”

“Whatever you wish.” The little tree could sense that there were indeed more humans outside, but their strength was mediocre.

Li Hao quickly left with Liu Long, walking through the air. The little tree drooped as soon as the disappeared and turned to the collapsed tree not too far away. It was just a tree, but it seemed to fix its gaze on the big tree in this moment.

“Father...” The little tree looked at the big tree, then at the castle near at hand. Protecting the castle was father’s duty, not its duty. Its father was dead, but it continued to stand guard here.

It could’ve left twenty years ago, but it didn’t. It was a sapling from the old tree’s demise and had sprouted from its roots. It was both a descendant and a rebirth of the original body. Safeguarding the abandoned palace seemed to have also become its mission.

If possible, it didn’t want Li Hao in this place. But now it was fragile beyond belief and humans had discovered this area. If it didn’t swiftly grow stronger, more powerful beings might come. Even though the palace had been discarded, it was once an incomparable structure! No one should be able to set foot inside it!

Therefore... I can only partner with him... Since he is a troop leader of Battle Heaven, that means the city has not fully perished. There should be a verification process still running and General Pagoda was willing to gift a drop of life essence. That means there should still be a sliver of life left in him. Perhaps I can place my hopes in this person that he will find more hope for General Pagoda...

Li Hao was thinking far too little of the little tree if he thought that the tree spirit was willing to work with anyone it encountered. If it wasn’t for the drop of Water of Life, the silver armor, and Stellaris, he would only be faced with the little tree’s defiance to the death. The bloodline of the eight families was at times completely useless, but at times, the stepping-stone to success.

He wouldn’t have been able to join the Battle Heaven Army without his bloodline or reach a partnership agreement with the little tree.

......

Within the mountain cave.

The Demon Hunters waited anxiously. Two figures returned one after another.

Li Hao flew forward and looked at Li Heng. The latter fidgeted to be stared at so intensely. “Leader, what are you looking at me for?”

Seriously.

“Do you want to be a Dominator?”

Li Heng blinked, as did the others. A variety of expressions crossed the faces of Liu Yan and the old Demon Hunters.

You call for Li Heng instead of us for an opportunity like this? Is there a need to look after him so much just because of a surname?

“Of course, leader!” Li Hang jerked to attention. “But... it’s very hard to improve the aura. Do you have a way?”

All that a Sunderer needed to do for their breakthrough was to strengthen their aura to the point of transformation. It was a process that normally took many years. Yuan Shuo had persisted for many years, as did others. Liu Long had directly entered Dominator possibly because he had outside help.

“Yes, but it’s very dangerous!” Li Hao cut straight to the point. “There’s a tree spirit below that’s reached an agreement with me, it has a few ideas to strengthen our auras! Of course, the price to be paid is very high—origin weapons are to be used as fertilizer. I don’t mind that, I’m just worried that it has other plans in mind. Therefore, I need someone to go down there first and I’ll make a decision after seeing the effects...”

Whoosh!

Li Heng flung himself at the hole. “Leader, I’ll test the waters for you!” With that, he jumped down!

Li Hao looked wordlessly in the appropriate direction, then looked at Liu Long and the rest. They were equally speechless.

That guy...

Li Hao was yet to finish his words, but the fellow seemed deathly afraid of losing the opportunity and jumped straight down!

“I... forget it!” Li Hao nursed a brewing headache.

I wasn’t done yet! The hell you throw yourself down for?

He’d wanted to remind the young man to be careful and keep an eye on the tree, but Li Heng had already jumped down. What else could he say now?

Li Hao tossed the earth armor into the hole. “Try absorbing this first, senior. We’ll see how to proceed if that’s not enough.”

It was just a Sunderer making the attempt. If one origin weapon wasn’t enough... Li Hao would have to consider if the partnership was worth it.

The little tree did not respond. Everything quieted below; some minute changes occurred after a long while. Li Hao felt a surge of presence that swiftly disappeared.

An hour passed, long enough that the young man started growing nervous. He considered the hole solemnly, wondering if he should rush down... A figure darted out at this time!

Li Heng wobbled to a landing. Li Hao looked at him with fresh eyes—Dominator! Li Heng was a Dominator!

Li Heng himself was a bit absent-minded and vacant. He recovered his wits only after seeing Li Hao.

“Leader...” he mumbled. “Am I... am I a Dominator?”

“Mmhmm, what do you feel?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t feel anything, it was like I entered a patch of darkness and then saw a road—a very narrow road. I think I saw some people fighting, and trees, and monster spirits. And then... I woke up, and here I am, a Dominator. I don’t feel anything about it myself.”

Li Hao raised an eyebrow. That was it? That easy?

He didn’t say anything else and had Liu Long remain on the ground while he jumped down again.

......

The little tree was no longer crystalline. It seemed to have wilted some.

“The people of your era... are very strange. I’d thought that I could guide you to the path of core origin, but I cannot... Perhaps your path is different from us...”

This “us” that it spoke of did not refer to the little tree itself, but its inherited memories. It was almost a carbon copy of the old tree.