전생검신 96권 11화

I finally got out of Antarctica and crossed over to a nearby land. Then I decided to have a chat with Solomon.

‘Solomon, what do you think about that Elder’s words earlier? Is it really possible that Chi You isn’t around?’

[…… It’s possible.]

I couldn’t help but feel annoyed and snapped at Solomon.

‘Damn it… Why didn’t you mention that possibility to me earlier?’

[Whether I did or not, it wouldn’t change that you’re here gathering information about Chi You. Isn’t that right? To know if Chi You exists, you need to gather information, and that’s why I’m practically hired by you.]

‘Hmmm…’

Solomon’s words seemed fairly accurate. But, I had this nagging feeling.

Why do Solomon’s actions feel different from the advisors I’ve dealt with in the past, even though he isn’t wrong?

While I was pondering this, Solomon continued.

[So for now, let’s look into Chi You. You can think later. After all, you won’t be leaving this time and space until your mission is accomplished, right?]

‘That’s true. So what should I do next?’

[That’s up to you. Honestly, I know next to nothing about Earth, this backwater planet. In fact, since you’ve been active here, you should have a better instinct about what needs to be done.]

Solomon’s remarks seemed somewhat irresponsible, but it wasn’t inaccurate. I couldn’t exactly berate a being from over a thousand trillion light-years away for not knowing about Earth! Until he contacts his subordinates, Solomon probably wouldn’t do much to help me.

‘What needs to be done….’

What do I need to do to find Chi You on Earth?

I was deep in thought when I said, ‘By the way, do you think the Three Sovereigns know I’ve come to Earth?’

[They probably do. But given the elusive nature of the Door of the Demon Gods that disregards divine power, they’d have a hard time knowing exactly where you ended up. The power you’re using isn’t divine either, so it’s likely they haven’t detected you yet.]

‘So that means if I’m careful, I can avoid their attention.’

[Exactly. If you don’t use your powers recklessly, you should be fine. Keep that in mind while you decide your next destination.]

‘…….’

I pondered deeply. It was actually something I should’ve planned for before coming to Earth, but since this place could throw up any variable, I thought it might be better not to come up with a pre-set plan. But now that things had come to this, I needed to rely on my instincts.

After a while of serious contemplation, I muttered something to myself.

‘I need to go visit Gong Gong.’

[Gong Gong? Who is that?]

‘He’s the elder of the Giant Race serving Yan Emperor Shennong.’

[Hmm… Is there a particular reason you want to visit him?]

With a smirk, I replied, ‘I know where Gong Gong’s seal is. If I can get there and check if he’s sealed, and if I can have a chat with him, I might figure out if Chi You exists in this era or not.’

The reason I wanted to find Gong Gong was that I had a decent grasp of the ancient history of the gods.

The initial spark for the catastrophic war was Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen and Yan Emperor Shennong! After that great war, Gong Gong caused another disaster and was sealed after battling with the Sovereign of the Three Sovereigns, Jeon Wook.

Since Chi You appeared after those two conflicts, it would be easier to gauge the present time in history based on Gong Gong’s current situation. Moreover, since Gong Gong was part of a faction opposed to the Three Sovereigns, I wouldn’t even take the risk of getting in contact with them.

Pa-at!

I arrived at the sealed location of Gong Gong, the “Navel of the World.” The enormous red stone mountain looked exactly the same as it did hundreds of thousands of years ago. I wanted to check if there was a seal here, so I tried to locate the passage I knew.

‘Not here?’

There was no entrance leading to the seal of Gong Gong.

It might seem natural not to find a hidden secret passage in such a vast mountain without a trace, but I’d been here dozens of times and had memorized the location, so not finding it felt odd. As I tilted my head in confusion, Solomon spoke.

[Let me detect any hidden seals or divine powers. Regardless of the strength of the seal you mentioned, it shouldn’t be out of my reach as the Demon King.]

‘Go ahead.’

Woooooo.

Solomon struggled and chanted something for a while before saying.

[Nada. No matter how hard I look, there’s nothing inside this mountain – no divine beings, no treasures, absolutely nothing. There is one hidden space, but… …]

‘Hmmm. So that means….’

[The Seven Luminaries you mentioned before likely haven’t been created in this era yet. And that Gong Gong isn’t sealed near the Dragon Flower Tree either.]

‘…….’

[Is there another way?]

Neither the Seven Luminaries nor Gong Gong existed… Does that mean the war between Gong Gong and Jeon Wook hasn’t happened yet? After a moment of thought, I suggested.

‘How about we go visit Yan Emperor Shennong?’

Solomon was taken aback by my suggestion.

[What…! Isn’t he one of the Three Sovereigns? You were warned that getting in touch with them is a dangerous matter!]

‘I know. But considering the timing, the fact that Gong Gong isn’t sealed here means that the war between Gong Gong and Jeon Wook hasn’t occurred… So that implies I need to check if the initial incident between Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen and Shennong happened or not, right?’

Upon hearing my words, Solomon seemed to quickly grasp the situation.

[Hmm, valid point. Whether Shennong is sealed or not, it would give us a more precise chronology.]

‘Exactly. Knowing that could make it easier to determine if Chi You exists. And while I’m at it, if I can gather some info about Chi You through Shennong, that’d be great….’

[But isn’t that a foolish idea?]

‘What did you say!’

[Did you forget the reason you’re sneaking around? The Three Sovereigns are truly formidable top-tier divine beings. Though you currently wield considerable power, you could easily be overwhelmed and disintegrated if they gang up on you.]

‘…….’

[Right now, you’re akin to a suspicious alien divine being that suddenly invaded this realm. The chances of being attacked as soon as you meet them are pretty high.]

‘Ugh.’

Solomon was right. So that’s why I’d been hesitant to meet the Three Sovereigns from the start? I’d used the Door of the Demon Gods to avoid their attention skillfully, yet now I was considering directly confronting one of the Sovereigns – that’s just absurd!

I was left speechless as Solomon continued.

[Still, your direction seems reasonable. If that’s the case, how about making some preparations before you meet Shennong?]

‘Preparations?’

[For now, let’s prioritize locating the Dragon Flower Tree since we’re here. Earlier, I couldn’t find Gong Gong or the Seven Luminaries, but I did manage to pin down the location of the Dragon Flower Tree.]

‘Alright.]

[Hahap……!]

Boom!

Along with Solomon’s sudden shout, a massive hole appeared, penetrating the “Navel of the World.” I shot towards the passage Solomon created and, hurtling down at high speed, soon recognized a familiar place.

‘This is the Peach Garden where the Dragon Flower Tree is!’

That’s right. This was the place where the Dragon Flower Tree originally grew!

More precisely, this location was characterized by a profusion of peach trees, with the seed of the Dragon Flower Tree situated beneath them. Hearing my comment, Solomon remarked.

[The divine beings must have been aware of this place. After creating the Seven Luminaries, they likely moved the Dragon Flower Tree to this vicinity. If the Dragon Flower Tree is present, then its seed can grow.]

‘Hmm. Is that so?’

[You know where the seed is hidden. Let’s go check it out.]

‘……’

[What’s up?]

‘It’s just… something feels off….’

I awkwardly looked downward at the tree trunk I had previously memorized.

‘The location I know for the Dragon Flower Tree seed is over there… But for some reason, I feel like it’s not going to be there….’

My intuition was telling me something.

I was sure of that spot from all my previous experiences, so why did I have this feeling?

Could it be that it was never there to begin with?

Pondering this, I suddenly had a realization.

‘… That’s it! I’m the World Tree!’

[Why? Did you come to some conclusion?]

‘Hold on…!’

I quickly concentrated, visualizing the fusion of the Thunder Soul and Azure Flame at my Upper Dantian. Instantly, the image of that fusion radiated throughout my entire being, creating a sense of unity as if I were a tree with countless branches.

And while experiencing that feeling of becoming part of the tree, I realized that some faint energy was hidden somewhere.

Is it here?

Bang!

I dove down, striking the hidden rock at the corner with the power of the Thunder Soul. As a result, an entity that seemed to be alive popped out along with a distortion in dimension.

Snap!

I quickly grabbed the entity from mid-air, and it seemed to wriggle for a moment. Solomon, shocked, exclaimed.

[Could it be………]

‘Yeah. Looks like the seed of the Dragon Flower Tree.’

[So it is. Since you’ve become the World Tree… you’ve tapped into a network to sense nearby entities of your kind!]

‘That’s about right. But why is this little guy squirming around like it’s alive when it used to act like a dead plant before?’

The seed of the Dragon Flower Tree was writhing in my hand, feeling very much alive, unlike its former lifeless state. I wondered if anyone could truly view it as a simple plant.

I gazed at the struggling seed for a moment and unconsciously uttered.

Hello.

It wasn’t the language of spirits, divine language, or human language. Rather, it was a more primal expression – a resonance that might even be described as communication.

However, as soon as I emitted that resonance, the effect was remarkable.

Swoosh……

The seed of the Dragon Flower Tree, which had been flailing about, suddenly froze and, as if observing me, extended its form forward. After a brief moment, it seemed to speak to me.

Hello.

Is it greeting me?

I smiled and nodded, and the seed conveyed its will once more.

I want to go with you.

Swish!

‘……!’

To my astonishment, next, the seed of the Dragon Flower Tree began to melt like liquid and was absorbed directly into my spirit body!

And then I suddenly felt something merging with me once more.

I could feel it vividly.

My power as the World Tree had been enhanced!

Solomon, observing this with awe, remarked.

[Oh my… Could it be… that a World Tree making contact with another World Tree means this? That they can merge to become a higher-grade World Tree?]

Exactly.

Out of the blue, I had just realized how to truly utilize the seed of the Dragon Flower Tree.