Chapter 330: Half a Tree

The private jet arrived in Ansili at night; the reception ambassador settled Chen Che and Xie Wanning into a hotel, planning to go to the royal palace the next day.

The next day, both of them were in good condition after a night of rest, and at eight in the morning, the reception ambassador arrived on time to pick them up and head to the royal palace.

"Senior Sister, you went to sleep without even eating dinner last night; was something the matter?"

On the way, Chen Che asked casually.

Xie Wanning sat upright in the car; because Wu Qingkui had previously sent a letter to the King of Ansili, this counted as an official diplomatic visit, and Xie Wanning had also changed her previous attire, putting on dignified and impressive formal wear.

She did not even look at Chen Che, merely replying casually: "It's nothing, I just found a book that was quite good to read."

"Oh, then let me take a look at it when we go back."

Chen Che looked at the scenery outside and replied casually.

Xie Wanning glanced at him sideways, her face gradually turning red, and she did not speak again.

After arriving at the royal palace, led by the reception ambassador, the two participated in a warm welcome ritual, and finally, inside the magnificent palace, they met the King, the Queen, and the Princess of this country.

"Welcome, my friends!"

The King greeted the two warmly in standard Ansili language.

Chen Che responded using the foreign language he had just learned; it was a bit difficult, but overall it went smoothly.

Xie Wanning had clearly followed Wu Qingkui in doing such things many times, and she handled it with ease.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two took their seats at the King's invitation.

This country did not cover a large area, but thanks to its unique geographical location, it was one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

The tables used for welcoming guests were inlaid with gold edges and gemstones, and the tableware was all solid gold, which let Chen Che deeply experience the extravagance of the nouveau riche.

King Abdullah smiled at the two: "Two honorable friends, I have received the letter from your National Lord and know the purpose of your visit; I will certainly tell you everything I know.

In addition, I have also specially prepared materials on the various religions that have existed in Ansili from ancient times to the present, to facilitate your review, my two honorable friends."

King Abdullah, as the ruler of this ancient kingdom, possessed a demeanor that commanded respect without anger.

He was tall, his skin was the olive color unique to the Middle East, and his deep eyes sparkled with the light of wisdom.

His hair was black and thick, and his beard was neatly trimmed, revealing a meticulous rigor.

The National Lord wore a traditional robe called a "Dishdasha," which was a loose white robe embroidered with gold thread, symbolizing his noble status.

His headscarf, the "Kufiye," was red with gold-trimmed edges, complementing his robe. He also wore a gorgeously decorated scimitar at his waist, which was a symbol of royal family members.

Chen Che and Xie Wanning performed the Ansili etiquette to Abdullah to express their gratitude.

"His Majesty the King is too kind; since that is the case, I will speak plainly."

Chen Che paused and asked: "Have you ever heard of the Taiyi Sect?"

"Oh, my goodness, of course I have heard of it!"

King Abdullah was clearly very excited, which actually took both Chen Che and Xie Wanning by surprise.

"The Taiyi Sect is the most mysterious legend here; no one knows when it appeared, and no one knows why it disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"That's right!"

King Abdullah pressed his hands together, looking very devout: "It was like a dazzling meteor; after it fulfilled our wishes, it disappeared without a trace."

Chen Che could not understand this.

Xie Wanning smiled warmly and said: "His Majesty the King, please forgive our ignorance, and please explain in more detail."

"I am sorry, I was too excited."

His Majesty the King said: "The Taiyi Sect exists in our historical documents and folklore, but as I said, they are very mysterious.

In our legends, they appeared a long time ago, then saved our ancestors, made us wealthy, and most importantly, they taught us the methods of cultivation for Martial Artists and taught us the skills to survive.

But unfortunately, after we became strong and wealthy, they disappeared.

And they disappeared without leaving any traces; no matter how we looked, we could not find them.

In religious legends, it is said that someone among our ancestors committed an unforgivable mistake, so the Taiyi Sect left us.

To be honest, I do not believe these claims myself; I only treat it as a belief to warn people not to make mistakes.

But looking at our country's long search, this seemingly absurd legend is very likely to be true."

"What do you mean?" Chen Che asked.

"Anything, as long as it has existed, must have left traces, but the Taiyi Sect was truly like a god; they came silently and left without any warning."

King Abdullah said with a look of regret.

Chen Che frowned: "Since they existed, someone must have seen them, right? What did they look like in historical documents?"

The King explained: "The records of their appearance in the documents also come from the oral traditions of our people.

They looked about the same as us and did not have three heads and six arms, but everyone had great abilities; to our ancestors at that time, they were like gods."

Chen Che took the Token out of his bosom, the Sect Master Token of the Taiyi Sect that his master Taixuan gave him when he went down the mountain.

"His Majesty the King, please take a look at this; do you recognize it?"

Chen Che handed the Token to a Follower, and the Follower delivered it into the King's hands.

The King carefully examined the Token; it appeared to be made of metal, square and upright, with a towering giant tree carved on one side.

When King Abdullah saw the giant tree on the Token, his eyes lit up instantly: "Honorable friend, may I ask where you got this thing?"

Chen Che answered truthfully: "My master gave it to me."

"Then where is your master now?"

"He is no longer here."

"Oh, I am truly sorry!"

King Abdullah returned the Token and said: "I have not seen this Token, but I do recognize the pattern on it."

Chen Che's brow twitched, and he gripped the Sect Master Token tightly.

Chen Che originally did not know what this giant tree pattern meant, but after seeing the Mural and the Stone Stele Heavenly Book hidden underground by Gu Yuanzong, he had a vague guess.

Coupled with the fact that his teacher's wife Wu Qingkui later said that the Taiyi Sect had a Heavenly Book, he became even more certain.

This giant tree pattern was the World Tree from the Mural!

Since it was also a Sect Master Token of the Taiyi Sect, it was very likely the symbol of the Taiyi Sect.

"Please tell me in detail," Chen Che said, unable to wait any longer.

King Abdullah laughed and said, "It's not just me who knows; everyone in our entire country knows!"

Huh?

"That is the symbol of the religion we believe in here; to be precise, it just looks very similar."

Queen Fatima spoke up at this moment.

"Your Majesty the Queen, do you mean that the religion believed in here uses this tree as its symbol?"

Xie Wanning asked.

Known for her elegance and nobility, the Queen had a head of long, shiny black hair, styled in the traditional Ansley fashion and adorned with gold ornaments and gemstones.

Her skin also had a healthy olive tone, and her eyes were large and expressive, with thick eyelashes.

The Queen wore an exquisite "Abaya," which was a black robe reaching her ankles, embroidered with intricate golden patterns, appearing both solemn and mysterious. Her headscarf was a colorful "Himar," draped softly over her head, adding a touch of gentleness.

The Queen nodded gently and smiled, "Yes, but strictly speaking, it is not; it just looks very similar, because the symbol of our religion here is half a tree."

………