Chapter 7: [World Tree]

Have I already died?

Where is this?

Zhu Kai slowly opened his eyes; the harsh sunlight tried to close his eyes again.

"Are you awake?" a young female voice cheerfully said.

Zhu Kai glanced over and saw a girl in a small green dress, about eleven or twelve years old.

I am...

Before Zhu Kai could finish, the little girl happily ran off, calling out: "Sister Yue'er, that old man grandpa is awake!"

Zhu Kai gave a wry smile, stroked his beard, wondering if he really looked that old—did they have to tack on "grandpa" after "old man"?

Zhu Kai checked his hands and limbs; everything felt normal. He wore a loose blue shirt and long pants—probably patient clothing.

He looked around.

He lay on a silver-white metal bed, surrounded by unfamiliar medical devices; the walls were also silver-white metal.

This doesn't look like a simple place.

Zhu Kai touched his forehead; it was intact—truly unbelievable.

If I recall correctly, I must have encountered a King-level monster, the Purple Moon Wolf King; in desperation I used a life-for-life secret technique, and just before my consciousness faded, half my head and body should have been gone.

As Zhu Kai thought that, a woman in an orange shirt and white coat walked in.

She appeared to be a doctor.

"How do you feel?" the female doctor smiled and said.

"I feel great, thank you for saving me." Zhu Kai thanked them sincerely.

"Is this... the World Tree?"

Not only did I survive, but my injuries are almost healed; on the whole Earth, only one place could do that.

You guessed right.

The little girl beside the female doctor giggled.

"Want to get up and look around?" the female doctor asked.

Zhu Kai exhaled, slowly rose from the bed, stretched his neck and joints, and laughed heartily.

"Hahaha, this is the legendary World Tree—I definitely need to see it properly."

Following the female doctor, he left the treatment room and entered a metal corridor about ten meters long.

The corridor lights were warm yellow; at the end shone a somewhat glaring light.

Passing through the corridor and stepping into the bright doorway, a world of green and silver-blue metal came into view.

Trees hundreds of meters tall—no, nearly a kilometer high—were surrounded by buildings of varying heights, their surfaces silver-white or deep blue.

Some buildings rose from the tree base, built against the trunk; others seemed to grow straight from the trunk and fuse with it. Looking up, clusters of shade blocked the sun, hanging in the sky like green clouds; between the clouds and treetops, vague structures could be seen.

Looking down, the spacing between the giant trees was at least several kilometers, with colorful flower fields, tender green fresh lawns, and lakes where azure and jade-green blended.

Looking closer, the colorful flower fields had bees gathering nectar and dancing butterflies; the tender green lawns had playing children and diligent youths; under the jade-green lotus leaves swam colorful fish; on the clear lake surface bloomed pure white lotuses.

Zhu Kai stood on a balcony several hundred meters high, gazing at this paradise-like scene—a sight he had never dreamed of even in his dreams.

As a High War God martial artist and psychic master, he could feel that all this was real, not a dream or illusion.

Zhu Kai gripped the railing, his hands trembling uncontrollably; tears welled up in his eyes and wouldn't stop.

He swallowed, fighting back a sob, and said: "Too amazing."

Zhu Kai, forty-five this year, had personally experienced the Great Nirvana, endured life-and-death trials, witnessed birth and death; his dream, his daily fantasy, was that the world could return to the legendary state before the Great Nirvana.

Perhaps this is it?

No, Zhu Kai could be certain; this is surely far more beautiful than before the Great Nirvana.

"Yes, it's amazing; this is the first city built by the World Tree, named Xin Ailidu, and there will be many more beautiful cities."

The female doctor leaned on the railing, smiling faintly, as if also contemplating:

"Let every inch of the world's land become like this; that is the World Tree, and everyone's shared ideal."

"How about it, want to join?"

As the words fell, a green leaf drifted down, blown by a breeze, floating before Zhu Kai.

Zhu Kai reached out his right hand, gently grasped the green leaf before him, and likewise showed a bright smile.

Zhu Kai is a person who repays kindness; moreover, the World Tree is currently the foremost organization fighting monsters, with the best reputation overall.

"It is an honor."

As the words fell, the green leaf in Zhu Kai's hand dispersed into fine light that merged into his palm.

Zhu Kai only felt warmth in his palm; afterward nothing else seemed special.

"Close your eyes and call Heartnet in your heart," the female doctor said, closing her own eyes as well.

Zhu Kai also closed his eyes, silently chanting:

"Heartnet."

Accompanied by a faint light before his eyes, the surrounding world gradually brightened……

——【Welcome to Heartnet】

"Detecting a new partner, creating your personal information——"

"Personal information complete: Zhu Kai, High War God, personal contribution 100 points."

"Welcome, Zhu Kai; this is the Xin Wang Shi Jie."

Zhu Kai looked at his hands; the sensation was completely real, and his clothes were the same patient garb he wore, with no difference in texture.

The faint female voice faded; the surrounding milky white gradually took on seven colors, the splendid colors mixing into the sky, making the whole sky shine like an aurora rainbow, while beneath his feet turned into a deep blue like a starry sky.

Near and far, rows of oak chairs gradually appeared, with rows of small trees growing around them, surrounding delicate water fountains.

After Xiao Qiao's flowing water, a pure white staircase leads onward to a massive palace constructed of trees, flowers, vines, and green leaves intertwined.

"How does it compare to the War God Palace?" the female voice beside him asked.

"It should be even more beautiful." Zhu Kai replied.

"It's said that it will become even more beautiful later."

"By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet—I'm Cang Yue Er."

"Cang Yue Er is naturally that female doctor from the real world."

"Hello, I'm Zhu Kai." Zhu Kai also replied.

"From now on, wherever you are, as long as you call upon Heartnet, you can enter here; here you can seek help, trade, and share experiences—overall it's quite similar to the War God Palace."

"Of course, all functions of the smart wristwatch—including communication, maps, recording information, uploading information—can also be performed via Heartnet, with the transmission medium being the leaf in your palm; all functions require only a silent thought in your mind."

"You can also bring up the specific usage instructions yourself."

"Like me."

"Personal control panel." Following Cang Yue Er's call, a blue translucent control panel appeared before her.

Zhu Kai imitated, saying: "Personal control panel."

A light-blue personal control panel floated before Zhu Kai's eyes.

Name: Zhu Kai

Gender: Male

Strength Assessment: Apprentice (High War God)

Contribution Points: 100

Friend List (0/0)

……

Besides the personal information in the middle, there are also these expansion options around it, corresponding to the series of functions Cang Yue Er introduced.

"After reaching the planetary level, you can also obtain the right to use personal space, which offers even more conveniences within it." Cang Yue Er continued.

"Planetary level?"

As a member of the War God Palace, Zhu Kai naturally knows what personal space is, but as a lone warrior he has had little chance to encounter extraterrestrial relics, so he is unclear about what the planetary level entails.

"That is, the rank after War God." Cang Yue Er explained.

Zhu Kai scratched his head and gave a wry smile: "Heh, do I even have a chance, someone like me?"

Zhu Kai went through the Great Nirvana affair, feeling his way forward; during that period most people were crossing the river by feeling the stones, while Zhu Kai, stumbling along, became a High War God after twenty or thirty years, and in the following ten years there was no progress at all.

He took the wrong path, lacked sufficient opportunity, and his body began to gradually decline from its peak. Those with opportunity and talent, like Hong and Lei Shen, broke through to High War God in just three to five years. Meanwhile, many like Zhu Kai remain stuck at High War God for life.

At some point, Zhu Kai gradually stopped hoping for any advancement beyond the War God rank.

"Perhaps before there was none, but after becoming our companion, it's no longer difficult."

Cang Yue Er said this while walking a few steps forward.

"Come on, I'll take you around the Xin Wang Shi Jie properly."

"Okay."

Hearing Cang Yue Er's confident boast, Zhu Kai's spirits also lifted involuntarily.

"But, isn't wearing this outfit inappropriate?" Zhu Kai pointed at his hospital gown and scratched his head.

Although he is already in his forties, Zhu Kai still cares about his reputation; he knows some acquaintances in the World Tree, and if he goes out in this attire, everyone will surely know he was injured and rescued, likely losing all face.

Cang Yue Er chuckled: "Isn't there a variety of outfits in the personal control panel? You can change on the spot; without personal space, this is all we can do for now."

Zhu Kai gave an embarrassed laugh, then called up the control panel and casually changed into a regular outfit.

The two individuals' initial spawn point is called the registration point, which is also a border region of the Xin Wang Shi Jie.

"This place is called the Initial Courtyard, mainly used for communication and meeting new companions."

"Hearing you say that, it seems there are other places as well?"

"It is said that when the number of companions reaching the planetary tier exceeds one hundred, the Xin Wang Shi Jie will open a second location."

Zhu Kai was secretly startled, knowing that the entire War God Palace currently has fewer than a hundred councilors, who are precisely the planetary-level experts.

"Then I must hurry and strive, hoping to add a bit of fuel—hahaha."

Stepping out of the border leads to a wide plaza; on its benches and lawns, one or two acquaintances Zhu Kai knows can occasionally be seen.

"Hey, Old Zhu! You've also joined the World Tree?"

"Yes, I happened to receive an invitation as well."

"Tsk tsk, I'm sure you were badly injured and saved by some brother's life—hahaha."

In the World Tree, many join due to gratitude, but that doesn't mean everyone who has received its blessings will get an invitation.

Some, even if already part of a certain faction, are still invited to become peripheral members of the World Tree, while some planetary-level experts who voluntarily join may also be rejected.

"Cang Yue Sis, is this a new companion?" asked a man about 1.7 meters tall.

"Yes, let me introduce him—this is Zhu Kai."

"This is our rising star, Chang Wei." Cang Yue Er explained with a smile.

"Cang Yue Sis, don't tease me—I'm far behind you." Chang Wei gave a wry smile.

"Senior Zhu Kai, hello; my ancestors are also from Changzhou, so we're fellow townsfolk—I've long heard your great name." Although Chang Wei had never met Zhu Kai, as a High War God he indeed had some reputation.

"Hello, hello, I don't have any great fame—hahaha." Zhu Kai laughed.

Zhu Kai, however, had no acquaintance with Chang Wei at all; the War Gods cultivated within the World Tree do not all join the War God Palace, so many remain outside public and even War Gods' sight.

"Cang Yue Sis, are you going to take Senior Zhu Kai around? Please take me along too." Chang Wei said with a grin.

And the purpose, of course, is for a certain intellectual older sister.

Cang Yue Er also couldn't well refuse this situation, so she reluctantly said: "Alright."

The distance from the starting point to the courtyard seemed like just two steps, but when I looked back, the space outside the courtyard seemed boundless.

Slowly climbing a few steps, I arrived before a palace formed by trees and vines entwining, and the verdant branches and vines slowly retracted to form a doorway.

"In the Chu Sheng Zhi Dian there is a cinema, also a restaurant and bar, and a game room; all are places provided for everyone's leisure and entertainment."

"Leisure and entertainment, these two words have gradually faded from people's sight since the Great Nirvana era."

However, for many war gods, constantly battling monsters also requires relaxation and adjustment; speaking solely of this aspect, the War God Palace indeed cannot compare to the richness of the Chu Sheng Zhi Ting.

Chang Wei, standing beside them, originally wanted to follow Zhu Kai and Cang Yue Er to watch a movie, have a meal, etc., but Cang Yue Er seemed not intending to bring Zhu Kai to experience it; she merely introduced each place to Zhu Kai in turn.

In this situation, we still need to take the initiative!

"Cang Yue Er sister, Zhu Kai senior, today I'll treat you to a good meal in Chu Sheng Zhi Ting to welcome and cleanse you, Zhu Kai senior." Chang Wei proposed.

"Not bad, still has some emotional intelligence." Cang Yue Er gave a thumbs-up and said.

However, I need to first take him to the central courtyard; you go ahead and grab a seat.

Sure!

Watching Chang Wei's happy departing back, Zhu Kai couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

Besides many entertainment facilities, the Chu Sheng Zhi Dian also has one most important place, which is the Shen Shu Zhong Ting.