The Emerald Python moved silently through the forest.
Despite its immense size, it made almost no sound.
Lin Yuan followed several dozen meters behind, remaining alert.
He had no idea where the ancient spirit beast was leading him, but one thing was certain—it had no intention of harming him.
After walking for nearly an hour, the dense forest gradually gave way to towering stone pillars covered in emerald vines.
Ancient ruins emerged from the undergrowth.
Broken statues lined a weathered stone path.
Some depicted cultivators kneeling.
Others showed spirit beasts bowing before an enormous tree.
Time had worn away their faces, but the reverence in their postures remained unmistakable.
"This place..."
Lin Yuan whispered.
"It must be thousands of years old."
The Emerald Python stopped before a pair of colossal stone gates.
The gates were covered with thick moss and sealed by countless glowing green runes.
At their center was the carving of a single sapling.
The instant Lin Yuan stepped closer, the Green Spirit Sapling within his spiritual sea began to sway.
Its roots shimmered with golden light.
Without any conscious effort, Lin Yuan raised his hand.
His palm rested against the carved sapling.
The Green Spirit Sapling released a strand of pure life essence.
The stone gates trembled.
The ancient runes lit up one after another.
A deep rumble echoed across the sanctuary.
After countless centuries...
The gates slowly opened.
A wave of pure life energy rushed out.
It was unlike ordinary spiritual qi.
It carried the fragrance of forests after rain and the vitality of countless living things.
Even taking a single breath made Lin Yuan feel refreshed.
The Emerald Python lowered its head once more before remaining outside the entrance.
It would go no farther.
"So this place..."
"...only those acknowledged by the World Tree may enter."
Lin Yuan stepped through the gates alone.
Inside the sanctuary stood a magnificent hall carved from emerald stone.
The ceiling had long since collapsed, allowing sunlight to pour inside.
Vines covered the walls, yet the hall itself remained untouched by decay.
At its center stood a crystal pedestal.
Resting upon it was...
A single branch.
Although only half a meter long, it radiated an overwhelming life aura.
Its emerald bark glowed faintly, and one tiny green leaf still clung to its tip.
Lin Yuan's breathing quickened.
"The World Tree..."
"This must be one of its branches."
As he approached, the Green Spirit Sapling became increasingly excited.
However, before he could reach the pedestal—
A figure appeared.
It was a young man dressed in ancient green robes.
His body was transparent, like a ghost.
He looked no older than twenty-five, yet his eyes carried the weight of countless years.
"You have finally arrived."
Lin Yuan immediately bowed.
"Senior."
The young man smiled.
"I am not alive."
"What stands before you is merely a fragment of my will."
"I was once the final guardian of this sanctuary."
His gaze fell upon the Green Spirit Sapling.
"I never expected that one of the World Seeds would survive."
Lin Yuan hesitated before asking,
"Senior... what exactly are the World Seeds?"
The guardian raised his hand.
The air shimmered.
A vast image appeared before them.
The towering World Tree filled the heavens.
Around it revolved countless worlds, each nourished by its endless life force.
"When the World Tree was destroyed, its heart shattered into countless seeds."
"Those seeds scattered throughout the heavens."
"Some became spiritual treasures."
"Some were lost forever."
"And a very few..."
"...became Martial Souls."
Lin Yuan's heart shook.
"So every evolving Martial Soul..."
The guardian slowly shook his head.
"No."
"Only yours."
"Your seed is the Origin Seed."
"It carries the purest bloodline of the World Tree."
"If it continues to grow..."
"It will not merely become stronger."
"It may one day..."
"...grow into a new World Tree."
Silence filled the sanctuary.
Lin Yuan stared at the guardian in disbelief.
A new World Tree...
Could such a thing truly exist?
The guardian looked at him solemnly.
"With such potential comes great danger."
"There are ancient powers that have spent ages hunting the World Seeds."
"They cannot allow another World Tree to appear."
Before Lin Yuan could ask who they were, the guardian's transparent body flickered violently.
His time was running out.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the emerald branch floating above the crystal pedestal drifted toward Lin Yuan.
"This branch contains only a trace of the World Tree's original vitality."
"It is not enough to awaken your Martial Soul completely..."
"...but it is enough to prepare you for the path ahead."
The branch slowly merged into the Green Spirit Sapling.
Its trunk became taller.
A fifth emerald leaf unfurled.
The golden veins beneath its bark spread throughout the entire trunk.
The life essence flowing from the sapling doubled in purity.
At the same moment, Lin Yuan's cultivation surged.
The bottleneck he had been unable to overcome shattered.
He stepped into the Body Tempering Realm, Sixth Stage.
The guardian smiled with satisfaction.
"Good..."
"You are finally beginning to resemble the bearer of the Origin Seed."
His figure grew fainter with every passing breath.
Just before disappearing completely, he spoke one final sentence.
"When you leave this realm..."
"Do not trust everyone who smiles at you."
"Some have already begun searching for the one who awakened the World Tree's legacy."