The Heart of the Wood Spirit—a gift born from an ancient tree that has lived for ten thousand years. Once every ten millennia, such a sentient tree awakens to produce this sacred relic, then seeks a worthy heir before it withers away, having fulfilled its purpose.
Yet to receive this miracle is no simple feat.
Natural disasters, human greed—few trees survive even a century, let alone a thousand. And for a soul to inherit the Heart, three rare conditions must align:
First, the inheritor must possess a pure and untainted heart—like that of a newborn child.Second, the ancient tree must sense a life on the brink of death, evoking its sympathy.And most importantly, the recipient must be born with a Wood Spirit Body, a constitution so rare it is said to appear once in an eon.
As the old saying goes, "Fate favors the improbable."By the hand of destiny, Bai Yufei was reborn beside a tree that bore the Heart of the Wood Spirit. He had been moments from death, yet his innate affinity aligned perfectly with the ancient force slumbering in the roots.
Thus began the miracle of Tree Inheritance—and with it, the first page in a life destined to become legend.
"Hmm? Someone's coming…"
Bai Yufei suddenly sensed a disturbance. He looked up, eyes narrowing. Two dark figures were rushing toward Azuremount at astonishing speed—and though they were still far off, he could faintly hear their voices, as if the wind itself carried their words to him.
Bathed in silver moonlight, the travelers soon came into view—one man and one woman. The man had a calm, composed demeanor; the woman, elegant and graceful, radiated a quiet beauty that seemed untouched by the world.
Their movements were swift, almost as if gliding through the air. In mere moments, they had reached the foot of Azuremount.
The man halted abruptly. The woman turned to him, her voice soft and melodic, like the gentle trill of a songbird."Senior Lin Ping, why did you stop? Is something wrong?"
Lin Ping stared up at the towering mountain, his brows slightly furrowed."Yanran, this expedition has yielded much… but it seems we've taken a wrong turn."
Hearing this, Bai Yufei nearly laughed out loud—but quickly caught himself.Wait, I'm supposed to be a baby! A newborn that walks and talks? That's a straight ticket to being labeled a monster.He hurriedly lay down beside a tree, pretending to be just another helpless infant.
Yanran looked around and asked, "Senior, do you know where we are?"
"Yes," Lin Ping nodded. "This is Azuremount. Once we cross it, we'll reach a small city where we can rest for the night. From there, the academy is only a few days away. Not far."
"That's a relief," she smiled. Then after a few steps, she glanced over and asked,"By the way, Senior, has your cultivation improved? Did this trial help you break through?"
"Of course." Lin Ping's tone turned proud. "This journey has taught me a great deal. I believe I'll soon reach the rank of Elementalist."
"An Elementalist?! That's incredible!" Yanran's face lit up, admiration shining in her eyes. "You've advanced so quickly… I don't even know when I'll reach that level."
Elementalist?Bai Yufei froze.
What in the world is that? There was nothing like it on Earth... Don't tell me—this isn't Earth at all?
His heart began to race.
This wasn't just a different place.It was an entirely different world.