Chapter 1 A Deviation in the Journey Through Purgatory

The journey through Purgatory deviated greatly from everyone's initial expectations.

A plain-looking, small-displacement private car drove swiftly and silently across the grassy plains, the gusts of wind it stirred up leaving faint ripples on the grass behind it. The world was so vast that the small car, speeding across the prairie, seemed as insignificant as an insect. If it weren't for the occasional black rock formations visible through the clouds, no one could have imagined that another layer of the planet's crust was suspended above the sky.

The car slowly stopped in front of a black "mountain," another "Heavenly Pillar Tree" supporting the dome. The massive tree trunk, like an entire cliff face, stood straight on the ground, its lower half a mountain peak nearly a thousand meters high, its upper part disappearing into the depths of the clouds. Hao Ren got out of the car and took out some equipment resembling surveying instruments from his dimensional pocket, assembling them on the spot.

The data terminal connected itself to the equipment, and a rough cross-section of the planet was projected above it. From the cylindrical container below the equipment flew several small machines, like silver cicadas, towards the "Heavenly Pillar Tree," deftly burrowing into its rock-hard black outer skin. Moments later, the data returned, and the holographic image representing the Heavenly Pillar Tree on the data terminal's scan turned a cold blue.

"Third one, also a dead individual, all life signs completely stopped," the data terminal reported calmly, displaying the data. "Wood fibers can still be found deep inside, but the outer layer is basically petrified, a mixed mineral, possibly a hardened secretion from the trunk over the years, evolving into a reinforced shell. These 'petrified' parts provide unimaginable strength to these hollow cylinders… almost as hard as a starship's armor plating."

"So they can support the world above," Hao Ren said, looking up at the lower layer of the crust obscured by the clouds. "Are these trunks evenly distributed?"

"Yes, evenly distributed, and in large numbers," the data terminal replied, displaying the distribution of the Heavenly Pillar Trees between the first and second layers of the Purgatory planet on its screen. The data from the probes was not yet detailed, but a rough analysis was sufficient. The screen showed that the entire first layer of Purgatory was suspended a dozen kilometers above the deep crust of the planet, with no geological connection between the two. A large number of Heavenly Pillar Trees were the only support for this two-tiered structure. These giant trees were evenly distributed under the crust, one every hundred kilometers: far more than the number of Purgatory entrances on the surface.

"Not all giant trees are hollow; in fact, most of them are solid, and they are more robust," the terminal explained. "The hollow trunks connect the world above and the world below like chimneys, and they have become the so-called 'Purgatory Second Layer Entrances.'"

Lily asked curiously, "Is this hollow structure… a disease?"

"No, it should be intentional," the terminal gave a negative answer. "The distribution of hollow giant trees is very uniform. On average, one in every hundred Heavenly Pillar Trees is hollow, and the entire atmospheric activity in the underground space is also coordinated with these 'chimneys.' This unit analyzes that these special hollow trunks should be similar to some kind of breathing tube, used for atmospheric exchange with the surface world—and should also have the function of sensors. This unit has scanned strong electrical signals surging below the hollow giant trees. If I'm not mistaken, it should be…"

"The First Born's nerves," Hao Ren interrupted before the terminal could finish. "These trees evolved from the First Born's tentacles, right?"

Hao Ren was no longer a rookie who relied entirely on equipment analysis to make judgments. Based on the environment of this underground world and the landscape he had seen on the surface world, he could easily deduce that only the First Born could create such a miracle. Those Heavenly Pillar Trees supporting the upper crust were undoubtedly part of the First Born, the only question being—this part had evolved so much that it was almost impossible to see the form of the First Born's tentacles, and even its internal physiological structure was very different from that of the First Born.

The data terminal did not answer directly, but instead projected a holographic image of the structure of the underground part of the Heavenly Pillar Tree, just scanned by the deep radar. Everyone could clearly see that under this giant tree was a more massive and terrifying complex world, with countless tangled roots like brain nerves growing deep in the earth. The deeper they went, the less they looked like normal tree roots, and at the lowest level, the roots had completely turned into tentacles, extending into the deeper parts of the earth: places that even radar could not detect, at least not with the small low-power sensors Hao Ren carried.

"The First Born's tentacles evolved into these giant trees, but from a physiological structure analysis, these trees have completely broken away from the First Born's life form," the terminal's voice was somewhat puzzled. "They are truly woody, covered with a layer of petrified shell that is stronger than super alloy, very different from tentacles. It feels as if a flesh-and-blood body has grown titanium alloy limbs, and they are not grafted on."

"That's understandable. The First Born is the source of life. If the situation requires it, it can transform part of its limbs into other species. It can do things with Source Blood, there's no reason why its tentacles can't," Hao Ren was not surprised. "We can confirm these things with Zorm later. The key now is whether this First Born is alive or dead… You said it has nerve impulses, but these giant trees are clearly dead."

"Impossible to judge. For a creature of the First Born's level, it is difficult to define its life and death using the standards of ordinary species: its body and soul, every organ and even every fragment may have independent definitions of life and death. Part of it is obviously withered, but these withered parts support an entire world, and there are still some signals coming from its depths, but only a little electrical signal."

Lily thought for a moment and came up with a word: "Vegetative state?"

Hao Ren gave Lily a strange look. He thought to himself that there shouldn't be a more incongruous description in the world, but these three words were truly appropriate for the current situation!

"If… if I'm not mistaken, the layer above shouldn't be the crust either," Vivian said thoughtfully after looking up for a long time. "It's impossible for this planet to grow a new shell out of thin air. The top of the tree trunk can only be one thing…"

The data terminal immediately switched the screen, showing further scanning results of the outermost layer of the Purgatory planet's crust, the desolate and vast place full of toxic hot springs and monsters that everyone had witnessed when they first arrived. It looked like a solid and integrated rock shell, but after detailed scanning by the probe, the hidden veins in its depths finally appeared.

"You're right, it's the canopy. The first layer of the Purgatory planet's crust is a petrified canopy."

These canopies stretched out in continuous patches, without gaps, completely covering the original planet below. The peculiar "petrification" process of the Heavenly Pillar Trees was not only reflected in the trunks but also in the canopies. Therefore, after who knows how many years of change, the former plant canopies became rock layers several kilometers thick, and above that rock layer was a harsh world that could be called Purgatory.

During this series of transformations, all the Heavenly Pillar Trees died. Whether it was part of the First Born's plan or something went wrong in the middle, in short, the "black mountains" that everyone could see now were just the remains of dead plants, pillars left after the First Born's tentacles withered. They were fossils, holding up the canopy crust that had also become fossils.

Nangong Sanba stroked his chin thoughtfully: "So, the place we're standing on now is the real 'original surface' of the Purgatory planet?"

"That's right, at least it's the original land before these giant trees completely sealed off the sky," Hao Ren nodded, his gaze extending upwards along the magnificent black tree trunk. "I think this is some kind of protective measure, built to ensure the survival of the ecosystem on the original land. Coupled with the cloud dome on the outermost layer, this planet has layers of protection, which is why it has persevered to this day without the sun."

At this moment, the data terminal suddenly received an urgent communication from a probe, and it immediately shouted, "Hey! Stop studying the trees for now, the probe has a discovery!"

Vivian immediately ran over: "Is it the whereabouts of Baptiste?"

"No—it's traces of other artificial objects," the data terminal's projection showed a picture from afar. On the vast prairie, a large ruin covered with plants and soil was clearly visible. "A city! A city built by intelligent beings!"