Lingling inadvertently moved closer to the Tree of Life. She remembered that whenever she approached the Lord of Life in the past, it would affectionately wrap her in its tree branches—even though she was small and the branches could easily encircle her. But she wasn’t heavy now! What puzzled Lingling was how she was almost touching the Tree of Life, yet it seemed unresponsive, and Lingling also sensed something off about the Tree of Life’s aura...
"Mother, something’s wrong. The Tree of Life’s aura is so murky, and look at those people; they seem completely unaware of us, as if they’re lost in something," Lingling said, glancing at the group of cultivators sitting under the Tree of Life.
"That’s right, it seems that something has indeed happened in Jade City! We’ll discuss this further when we return..." Mo Jiuli said to herself.
Mo Jiuli and Lingling returned to the inn, and the next day, the two went to the inn for breakfast, hoping to hear some news about the city. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much useful information...
In the end, Mo Jiuli decided to visit the Tree of Life again. She had realized that there was nothing unusual on the surface of Jade City, meaning the people of Jade City were unaware of any problems with the Tree of Life. They continued living as they always had...
Mo Jiuli could understand this because from the outside, nothing seemed amiss with the Tree of Life. Nothing unusual could be detected! That’s why no one suspected anything...
However, Mo Jiuli believed there was an issue with the Tree of Life, and not everyone was ignorant of it—someone surely knew. But the purpose of this person’s awareness was unpredictable...
"Lingling, does Jade City not have a City Lord’s Mansion?" Mo Jiuli asked in confusion, recalling she hadn’t seen a City Lord’s Mansion during her previous visit.
"Mom, Jade City doesn’t have a City Lord’s Mansion. The people of Life World love peace and as long as they live peacefully, they have no ambitions to dominate! Besides, isn’t the Tree of Life governing everything in Jade City? So even if strong people or outsiders cause trouble in Jade City, the Tree of Life would settle it! Mom, you should be aware of the Tree of Life’s strength!" Lingling explained.
"Yes, I know!" Mo Jiuli nodded, though she hadn’t witnessed the Tree of Life in action, she could imagine.
The Tree of Life, the source of life, was the most peaceful and inclusive plant in existence, the warmest yet also the most powerful! With the protection of the Tree of Life, indeed, Jade City wouldn’t have any problems, but this relied on the Tree of Life being healthy. If the Tree of Life itself had issues, then it’d be hard to say...
As they spoke, Mo Jiuli and Lingling arrived once again under the Tree of Life. Looking at the massive Tree of Life, Mo Jiuli should have felt intensely close to it. She remembered how comforting it felt to be near it in the past, but now she couldn’t feel that same comfort...
It was because of this that she immediately sensed something wrong with the Tree of Life yesterday!
"Lingling, try communicating with the Tree of Life. If you discover anything, stay calm and steady before saying anything!" Mo Jiuli instructed Lingling in her mind.
"I understand, Mother. Mother, let’s go over there to cultivate!" Lingling suggested, pointing to the back of the Tree of Life, where there was no one.