In the vast forest, trees grew legs and parted to the sides as if wriggling.
Two figures, one in front and one behind, passed through a corridor of tree demons and entered this ancient village, where the vicissitudes of history swept over them.
The figure in front wore a white robe and his eyes shimmered with light.
The figure a step behind wore a fitted garment embroidered with many beautiful patterns and subtly observed their surroundings.
It was Medusa.
After much hesitation, she had agreed to follow this Spark mentor. Truly, the mentor offered too much.
Her primary identity remained that of someone from Sword Flower City.
The contract clearly stated the terms, dispelling Medusa's doubts.
After signing the contract, she was surprised to find a simple light screen appear in her mind, listing redeemable items and obtainable quests.
It was similar to the mobile phone Shi Yunxi had applied for her, except that upon officially joining, the benefits were far greater, and the items on the exchange list were a dazzling array, several times more than the previous stripped-down version.
Medusa saw a potion called 'Physical Enhancement Potion Type 3', which could greatly improve physique, even having a significant effect on her, a Triple Awakener.
Most incredibly, it had no side effects!
Their Sword Flower City had more potent physique-enhancing potions, but they also came with considerable side effects and sequelae. There was no potion as potent yet free of side effects as 'Physical Enhancement Potion Type 3' in Sword Flower City.
And she could redeem it.
Of course, she could only use it for herself; taking it back to Sword Flower City was not permitted, nor did she have such intentions. Similarly, the mentor would not ask her to bring back any items from Sword Flower City.
She represented only herself.
The transaction between Spark and Sword Flower City was a matter between powers. Her role was merely to facilitate and deepen cooperation, which was a form of win-win.
However, upon arriving here, Medusa began to worry about how to report the Tide War to the Dean.
Before, she feared the Dean wouldn't believe her; now, she felt describing too many details was somewhat inappropriate.
She couldn't help but look at her mentor.
"Just report it truthfully," the mentor said. She was startled.
"I've said before that becoming an external member of Spark will not affect your original identity or your original mission. As an envoy, you should report everything you see as it is. What needs to be kept secret is this place, where only Spark personnel can come."
In reality, Medusa was an external contract member of Spark.
The only one who was both external and had signed a contract, yet he had long had similar ideas and drafted 'Class B Contracts'. The 'panel' presented in Medusa's mind was already a cut-down version; some redeemable items were still unavailable, and he didn't plan to open Spark's secret realms to Medusa.
The reason for signing the contract was solely for confidentiality.
To constrain with the power of the contract.
And Medusa was an experiment, Spark's attempt to reach for the stars and the grim realms.
Blue Star was ultimately too small. To resist the disaster, to resist the unspeakable and invincible existence dwelling in the deepest parts of the grim realms, Blue Star humans alone were far from enough. They needed to unite all forces that could be united.
His guidance and awakening, combined with an experienced Triple Awakener like Medusa, could immediately produce a Fourth Awakener, a non-human!
This was also why he wanted to sign a contract with Medusa.
On the other hand, it was also due to strength. The Great Oasis was a mid-tier force within the grim realms, and Spark now possessed the strength to not fear the Great Oasis.
"Moreover, there were many viewers who witnessed the Tide War, and there are beings above myth watching from beyond the heavens. Whether Sword Flower City is one more or one less makes no difference."
He said this calmly.
However, it made Medusa freeze on the spot, her eyes widening, pupils trembling, her hands and feet stiffening as if bound, trembling.
"M-myth?!"
"I was actually observed by a terrifying being!"
"Oh my gosh!"
Medusa's face turned pale, and she looked at her mentor, asking inwardly, "Why can you be so calm!"
...
The leaves rustled in the forest, with occasional sounds of insects and birds.
The sky was naturally somewhat dark, but compared to most parts of the world, this place remained a paradise, with little evil or strange phenomena.
Perhaps it was a portal to a secret realm that led here, anchoring the location.
Or perhaps the heroic souls of yesteryear were protecting this place.
Fang You returned from the secret realm and came back here an hour later, only to find Medusa still sitting on the cushion in the awakening place, looking stunned and disbelieving.
"M-mentor?"
"I've reached Fourth Awakening. I'm a non-human being now?"
She still felt as if she were dreaming.
In their Sword Flower City, Fourth Awakening was considered an absolute high-level attainment, earning respect in any Great Oasis.
It was a world apart from Third Awakening.
Before this, Medusa was confident that she had some chance of awakening to the fourth level, but it would require a long preparation and involve great danger.
She might achieve Fourth Awakening, or she might die during the process.
At this moment, she was clearer-headed than she could have imagined, and there was no auditory hallucination.
Was this... the purpose of the mentor bringing her here? Was this the true benefit of Spark!
It was as if the door to a new world had suddenly burst open, and her shattered worldview was reassembling. The mentor in the white robe before her appeared immeasurably tall and majestic.
Suddenly, Medusa recalled what the mentor had said before.
"Our goal is to move towards the stars and the grim realms..."
"To ignite an unquenchable fire."
Perhaps, the flame of Spark had already been lit in the grim realms.
When she came to her senses, her pretty face blushed. She quickly stood up and bowed gratefully, "Thank you very much for your gift. Medusa has nothing to repay you with, but after this trip, I will definitely kill more evil creatures and strive to contribute."
"Go, and return soon."
"Yes, yes."
Medusa departed.
She first entered the shallow layers of the grim realms, reducing resistance by one level, and then set up a reverse descent ritual to return to Sword Flower City.
Fang You did not ask about the ritual's trajectory diagram, as it was classified information of Sword Flower City, worth at least the price of a medium-grade formula. However, Medusa still provided some basic information.
Reverse descent was more difficult than forward descent.
The process was not instantaneous. It still involved traversing through the gray fog, but with the ritual, the traversal surpassed normal space, moving through stranger crevices.
She could travel all the way back to the starting point from which she had embarked on the 'descent ritual'.
"Medusa's promotion to non-human status will greatly enhance her standing in Sword Flower City, allowing her to play a greater role in promoting deeper cooperation and exchanges."
"In essence, it is still a win-win."
Having lured... ahem, recruited Medusa, Fang You had no intention of taking advantage of Sword Flower City. Only win-win cooperation could be long-lasting.
Moreover, Sword Flower City alone, as a Great Oasis, was not enough. This was merely a beginning; he wanted more win-win collaborations.
Sword Flower City, Black Stone Alliance, Scorching Flame Great Oasis, and so on.
"On the other hand, my contribution was merely a recruitment token and one guided awakening."
"To gain a non-human realm powerhouse with an extraordinary identity, well, half of one. This is a profit in any case. If more external contract workers like Medusa can be lured... recruited in the future, the number of powerhouses will rapidly increase."
"Well, this cannot be rushed. It must be done gradually, and just like normal Spark recruitment, compared to strength and potential, character and disposition are more important. Otherwise, polluting the entire pond because of a drop of ink would be a great loss."
He had observed Medusa's personality for some time.
Her strength and potential were also excellent. Indeed, after signing the contract, he discovered that Medusa was a 'purple potential' individual, and her personal contamination level was quite low, less than 10%. This was also why she could break through to non-human status so smoothly.
Although, failure would not have mattered.
"After all, she is a seed of non-humanity cultivated by Sword Flower City."
"From this perspective, there are not a few high-potential individuals in the Great Oasis, but awakening remains difficult. Each level is a hell, harder to ascend than to the heavens."
"Regarding Medusa, we'll wait for her news. All other matters have been delegated."
The urgent tasks were completed.
Mentor Fang returned to the apostle dormitories in the secret realm with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.
The panel opened before his eyes, displaying a seven-figure sum of fate points that dazzled him.
1.37 million!
This was the total harvest from this time, plus some remaining from before. After deducting the small amount needed for daily use, he had 1.3 million to spend!
He could draw 13 times from the Super Card Pool!
"Well, this time I plan to spend it all on the Super Card Pool. There's a low chance of obtaining a crimson-grade item in a ten-draw, but this time I've prepared for a full 130 draws, so I should be able to draw... right?"
"Maybe I can even draw a colored one?"
No, that was wishful thinking. Mentor Fang had some self-awareness.
After performing some simple mystical rituals and looking at the secret realm sky, which cast a faint golden glow, Fang began to draw.
The pool rippled, and golden streaks of light burst forth.
"Obtained: ..."
"Skip!"
"Second ten-draw, continue!"
The pool returned to calm, and soon rippled again, with golden light once more appearing, signifying a legendary item.
Mentor Fang stared, his expressionless.
He didn't even glance at it.
Skip.
Draw!
The 3rd ten-draw!
Golden light!
The 4th ten-draw!
Golden light!
The 5th ten-draw!
Golden light!
Mentor Fang's face twitched slightly. He knew crimson items were rare, but after 50 draws, seeing only gold on the screen was still somewhat unbearable.
Of course, most gold items were valuable, and a ten-draw usually yielded more than one gold item.
Let alone gold, even purple or blue items, if chosen correctly, could be comparable in value to golden grim artifacts, and there were many of them.
He just felt that spending 1.3 million and not drawing a crimson item was too embarrassing.
There was nothing else to say; he continued to draw.
The 6th ten-draw!
The 7th ten-draw!
During the 8th ten-draw, the scene finally changed. The pool churned violently, and a crimson glow burst forth from the pool, illuminating the sky!
He suppressed his excitement and slowly waited for the few passing items and one golden item to finish.
The treasure, wrapped in a crimson halo, finally appeared before him.
A small tree!
"Prompt: Obtained 'Idola Tree of Life' (Red)."
--
"Idola Tree of Life"
"Rank: Crimson"
"Category: Secret Treasure"
"Stage: Sapling"
"Abilities: Life, Prosperity, Nature"
...
...
A palm-sized tree, crystalline like pearls and gems, with three colors symbolizing three abilities, hovered before him, enveloped in a faint red glow.
"Special plant? No, it's not. It's a secret treasure!"
"A treasure born naturally, possessing various mystical abilities."
Much like the Book of Trials.
"Ability One: Life"
"Description: The Idola Tree of Life is a secret treasure naturally possessing the 'Life Function'. It can sprinkle a purifying radiance containing life energy, continuously produce 'Life Droplets', and bear fruit with the ability to extend lifespan."
--
"Ability Two: Prosperity"
"Description: The Idola Tree of Life naturally possesses the 'Prosperity Function'. It can disperse a domain of prosperity, providing crops within the area with a 30-fold growth speed bonus. This effect is reduced to 10-fold for golden-grade crops and 3-fold for crimson-grade crops."
--
"Ability Three: Nature"
"Description: The Idola Tree of Life naturally possesses the 'Nature Function'. Where it takes root and grows, the surrounding environment will be improved."
Three abilities, or rather, functions!
"Functions, are abilities that can only be mastered by those above myth?"
He was unsure.
But judging by the description alone, this secret treasure would be of great help to Spark's development.
"With Function Two 'Prosperity', combined with the bonuses of the cultivation park, won't Spark's crops grow like flying in the future? Liu Shang will probably be ecstatic... well, and overworked."
"And the Life Droplets produced by Function One are about much stronger than the 'Vessel of Life'. This way, Liu Shang's plant research can also advance by leaps and bounds. She'll be ecstatic again... well, not all of it can be given to Liu Shang. Part of it can be used to make potions and create a precious life-saving medicine."
Holding this small tree, Fang You went directly to the fourth level of the Spark base. He looked around, still feeling it wasn't big enough.
-- He didn't know how big this tree would grow.
So he flew down, landing on the ground of the secret realm, where many plants had already been cultivated and farmland and medicinal fields had been opened up.
However, there were still many undeveloped lands, bare and empty.
As he landed, several staff members from the cultivation department who were tending to the park hurried over.
"Greetings, mentor."
"Where is Liu Shang?"
"The minister is probably out. We don't know when she'll be back."
Fang You smacked his forehead.
He suddenly remembered that not long ago, he had just sent Liu Shang, Liu Ji, and others to awaken.
Fine, since Liu Shang wasn't here, he'd do it himself. He waved away the expectant junior employees and began to measure the land, walking to a barren area several kilometers away from the park.
There were some weeds here, but not many.
They were cleared regularly.
Fang You extended his hand and waved, conjuring a gust of wind that cleared the ground before him. Then he opened his panel and created plot after plot of cultivated soil.
After that, he planted this crystalline, pearl-like small tree in the soil in the center.
Instantly, the Idola Tree of Life took root and began to grow visibly.
Rustle, rustle, rustle--
The leaves rustled, shimmering with a flowing light.
This palm-sized small tree grew to a height of over two meters before stopping.
It wasn't large, as the panel indicated that this Tree of Life was still in its 'sapling stage,' still a baby.
Fang You walked forward, stroking the flawless, jade-like trunk. The branches swayed slightly, as if in joy and familiarity.
"But it only has instincts, no intelligence."
"Perhaps in the future, it will develop intelligence?"
As for enlightenment, that was impossible.
The Scepter of Radiance was merely a golden legendary grim artifact, far inferior in rank to the Idola Tree of Life. Its limit was to enlighten purple-grade items.
"The soil of the cultivation park, and the 'Prosperity' function of the Tree of Life itself, can both affect it, accelerating its growth."
"And as the Idola Tree of Life progresses from the sapling stage to the growing stage, its functions will continuously strengthen..."
"Excellent!"
Function One's production capacity will be greater.
Function Two's range will be wider.
As for now, how many 'Life Droplets' could the sapling stage condense? Well, Liu Shang's people could count them.
While thinking, Fang You let out a "Huh?" and looked up at the secret realm, only to discover that...
"The secret realm is slowly expanding?"
"This... this is the effect of the 'Nature Function'!"
In concrete terms, it meant secret realm experience +1+1+1.
Among the three functions, he thought 'Nature Function' was the least useful, but unexpectedly, it had such an effect, causing the secret realm to level up and the land to expand!
"Looking at it this way, once this Tree of Life grows, perhaps it can even reinforce the world barrier of Blue Star!"
"The possibility is not small."
"As expected of a crimson-grade treasure!"
This 'Idola Tree of Life' alone made Fang You delighted, and after 130 draws, there were clearly more good things.
Well,
He drew another 50 times, and they were all golden light, no more crimson.
He was not discouraged, however, and began to tally his gains one by one.
He focused mainly on the golden grade.
"A total of 48 golden legendary items were obtained. On average, the probability of a ten-draw yielding items was less than 4."
"Well, the low probability is one thing, but the key is that many of them were 'golden filler items'."
These included 16 golden-grade cultivation cards.
5 golden-grade skill seeds.
11 portions of the special treasure 'Root of Water'.
6 'Secret Realm Stones', a special treasure.
3 'Eternal Radiance Stones', special materials.
Legendary Grim Artifact 'Senluo Mask'.
Legendary Grim Artifact 'Formless Grasp'.
Several golden-grade materials with unknown uses.
And,
"Prompt: Obtained Legendary Fate Apostle 'Sitina'."
Fang You: "???"
...
PS: Wishing all examinees success in their college entrance examinations and great achievements!
--
-- Author's Note --
Two-in-one chapter. I wrote and deleted quite a bit, so the word count is a bit lower~