Chapter 1013: Tree King

Li Xiaofei replied, "Isn’t it all for the sake of evolution?"

The desire for ultimate evolution ran deep in the very soul of the Reapers. They were willing to abandon everything in pursuit of it.

But Li Lan shook her head. "You’ve met the Ancestor of Wisdom. Do you think he is fanatically obsessed with evolution?"

Li Xiaofei paused and recalled his brief encounter with the Ancestor of Wisdom. Then, he shook his head. This absolute leader who had pioneered the Reaper transformation into human form had carried an unfathomable calm.

His goals had been very clear. He had simply wanted a conversation with Lin Beichen to seek cooperation. Evolution seemed to hold no further meaning to the Ancestor of Wisdom.

"Evolution is merely a homework assignment the Ancestor of Wisdom gave to the Reaper race," Li Lan said with a faint smile. "The Reaper society is structured like a typical ant colony. No matter how any of the King-ranked clans evolve, they are always under the absolute domination of the Twin Ancestors. A single thought from either Ancestor defines the purpose of the countless King-ranked clans’ existence. Evolution... is just an excuse."

Li Xiaofei didn’t know how to respond. He had seen with his own eyes how countless ancient Reapers had charged forward relentlessly inside the Evolution Temple in the name of evolution.

He had witnessed the staggering cost the Reapers had paid across endless ages for this pursuit. Evolution was everything. It had been humanity’s most profound understanding of the Reapers, formed over long centuries of war and bloodshed. And now, when he heard that evolution was merely a pretext, Li Xiaofei found it hard to accept.

But he also knew that Li Lan, as one of the most powerful human cultivators closest to the five great Emperors, would not speak such words without reason.

"Let’s talk more about the murals you saw," Li Lan said with a faint smile. "What do you think that mysterious ascended race was trying to convey through their myth of the Giant God creating the world?"

Li Xiaofei began to recall the contents of the ten murals in his mind.

"They depicted the birth of the universe. The first lifeforms, one male and one female, or perhaps one masculine and one feminine, emerged from a divine egg. In the beginning, they coexisted in harmony. But for some unknown reason, conflict arose between them. The female killed the male and fell into deep sorrow and loneliness. Then, she discovered she was pregnant. She gave birth to a human and a beast. These two offspring entered the universe and began to reproduce rapidly. However, for reasons unknown, a half-human, half-beast monster later emerged from the remains of the female. It devoured her corpse and also ventured into the universe..."

It was a chaotic tale, but it was exactly what Li Xiaofei had seen on the murals. He still remembered those ten crude paintings with perfect clarity. Though their brushstrokes were simple and their style appeared childish, they held immense visual impact and carried a kind of spiritual shock.

Li Lan smiled. "That’s very similar to the myths I’ve compiled from various civilizations. But those ten murals hold far greater value... Have you ever considered what the white female, the black male, the human, the beast, and the monster actually represent?"

Li Xiaofei paused, falling into thought. If those ten murals indeed depicted the creation and origin of the various races, then the creatures in the paintings likely symbolized the great species that would later fill the universe. After a while, he spoke.

"The human should represent humanity, right?" he asked cautiously.

Li Lan did not confirm nor deny, simply saying, "Go on."

Li Xiaofei continued, "The beast must represent the Reapers."

Li Lan nodded and said, "And?"

Li Xiaofei said slowly, "As for the final monster... could it be Oblivion?"

Li Lan asked, "Then what about the original white female and black male?"

Li Xiaofei thought for a long time but finally shook his head. It was difficult to say. If he interpreted the mural correctly, then both humans and Reapers came from the white figure’s womb, and her corpse eventually became Oblivion.

But what of the black male figure? This story was clearly different from the usual tale of the Giant God’s creation. Li Lan offered no explanation.

"Perhaps you’ll come to understand in time." The powerful and composed quasi-Emperor then changed the subject and asked, "Do you know what you need to focus on most right now?"

Li Xiaofei nodded and said, "Improving my strength."

He had to reach the quasi-Emperor realm. Only then would he qualify to stand alongside the Five Emperors in battle.

He had not returned to Heaven in recent days. Instead, he had traveled the galactic battlefields, tempering both his body and heart, preparing for his breakthrough into the quasi-Emperor stage.

"Good. Then go," Li Lan said with a wave of her hand.

She then returned to her work, burying herself in endless duties once more. Li Xiaofei silently cupped his hands and left Lingxiao Hall. On his way to Doushuai Palace, he passed by the Peach Garden.

"You’re back?"

At the entrance stood the young lady, smiling softly. Li Xiaofei walked forward and embraced her. It felt as though he held the entire world in that embrace.

The two had known each other and grown close since their first meeting in Liuhe Base City. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them childhood sweethearts. No matter how time rushed past like a roaring river... No matter how the world around them changed, how many people came and went... Their feelings for each other had never changed.

In Li Xiaofei’s heart, Tan Qingying was forever his white moonlight.

"Come on. Everything I’ve prepared for you is inside," she said.

She led him into the Peach Garden with her hand in his. Aside from assisting his aunt in refining pills, she had poured much of her energy into tending the Peach Garden. She loved working with the peach trees, and the vibrant breath of life was palpable.

They walked to the very center of the garden before the tallest, grandest peach tree. The tree bore fruit, only one, and it was a bright red peach. It looked particularly striking against the emerald green of the leaves.

"The fruit of the Tree King; there is only one in all of Heaven and Earth," the young lady said softly. "It was specially reserved for you by Her Grace, Lady Hua."

She was referring to Hua Xiangrong. That woman whose strength was unfathomable, yet whose gentleness flowed like the quiet passage of time. If not for her, all might have been lost back during the battle for Heaven.

Li Xiaofei stepped forward slowly and plucked the peach. He turned and looked toward Tan Qingying.

She quickly waved both hands and said, "Don’t look at me. It can only be yours."

Though Hua Xiangrong hadn’t left many words, Tan Qingying had already seen through it all long ago. She understood perfectly what it meant for the Tree King to produce only a single fruit in its entire lifetime.

If possible, she had hoped the one to eat that fruit... Would never be Li Xiaofei. But unfortunately, that couldn’t be helped.

Standing beneath the great tree, Li Xiaofei ate the peach. A vast vitality surged through his body. The overwhelming tide of energy felt like the birth of a new universe.

After finishing the peach, Li Xiaofei dared not hesitate any longer. He made his way straight to Doushuai Palace. His aunt was already waiting there.

Time had passed. Years had flowed by like a swift river. Yet the woman standing at the gates of Doushuai Palace, in that fleeting instant, seemed to transform back into the blind girl who had once waited by the door of a tenement block in the slums for him to come home from school.

The world... was still so beautiful. There were too many people and too many memories worth holding on to. Li Xiaofei’s resolve grew even stronger.