1538 Side Effect

Half of the Nine Yang Divine Tree and World Tree's current growth rate. That wasn't half bad.

When the Bottomless Jade Flask arrived in the auction, it was meant for Spirit wines. However, he had seen its usage in growing plants, so he bought it.

He could have never imagined at that time that it would be used to help the Nine Yang Dive Tree and the World Tree grow. That possibility had simply never existed in his mind.

"Actually," Alex quickly said. "I have something else I bought to grow plants." He quickly brought out a few dozen formation flags of various sizes. "This is the Enriching Mist Formation, meant to gather Qi into a small area. What if I used this around the trees?"

The man looked at the rods in front of him, his Divine sense passing through them all. He closed his eyes to see what they really did and nodded. "Not bad, it's quite an amazing creation for this realm. It will do quite well for now. I'll also help make you another one to concentrate Life aura around them. With those two, we won't have to be concerned much longer."

Alex nodded and was about to say something when the man spoke again. "I don't think we can let the two trees remain as they are. They need much more to grow. They need to lay their roots on the ground."

Alex didn't disagree. "So we should plant them on some land?" he asked.

The man nodded. "More than that, we should separate them as well," he said. "Slowly untangle their roots and separate them."

Alex frowned a bit when he heard that. "But they are relying on each other to survive aren't they?" he asked. "That would kill them."

"Not immediately," the man said. "And they have sprouted already either because of you, or each other, or both. Now, they can be taken away if we plan to let them grow."

"What's wrong with letting them as they are?" Alex asked.

The man scoffed a little when he heard that. "The World Tree would devour the Nine Yang Divine tree in no time if we let them stay close," he said.

"While growing, it won't seem like much, but the World Tree is supposed to be large, so large that it is said that one could see the tree before they saw the realm."

"It is said that there were cities built around the world tree in between the corner of its roots, back when they hadn't yet abandoned the place before the war. Each root is as tall as a hills. Mountains at their peak were said to have never come half the size of its height."

"In front of it, the Nine Yang Divine tree would appear as large as an ant to a human. The Yang tree might have been blessed by the Sun God, but it wasn't nearly at the level at which the World Tree was blessed by the Moon Goddess."

Alex couldn't help but be scared thinking of a tree that dwarfed mountains. He had seen large trees, but this was just monstrous if the words were true. And looking at the size of its seed itself, Alex could tell that it was true.

He had to agree that they should separate the two. "How do we do it? How do we separate them?" he asked.

"Don't worry, I will help you," he said. "We have plenty of time."

Over the next month or two, Alex struggled with the man inside his Soul Space from time to time, trying his best to separate the roots by hand. 

Each time he did so, he would have to be gentle with the roots slowly pulling them apart from each other. Each time, he failed to complete the task as Alex couldn't handle it any longer and the man had to go back out.

There had been times when he wanted to stay a bit longer, do a bit more, but that would risk Alex's life. He didn't want to do that. There would be problems after his death that the man could not hope to deal with himself. 

So, each time, he would leave the task unfinished. The problem that came with that was that every time he left, the roots would go back to grabbing each other again.

Leaving without completing the task meant complete failure and he would have to start it from the beginning.

Thankfully, he had noticed that Alex was able to handle him inside his Soul Space a bit longer each time. He hadn't intended for it, but his presence in Alex's Soul Space had been one of the major training for his Intent and Spiritual Sense. It was a nice little side effect.

The man feared that Alex would end up with such advanced Intent by the end of it all that he would do things that should not yet be possible by Saints.

If he was to be honest, he was looking forward to it.

On the 5th month of being there, Bai Jingshen finally arrived, the behemoth of a white tiger hadn't changed to a human form.

"How are you two here?" he asked when he saw Pearl and Alex in the mansion's backyard.

"Brother Shen, greetings," Alex said.

"Grandpa!" Pearl said enthusiastically. 

Bai Jingshen landed by Pearl and stroked his back. "You've grown stronger. Is the Eastern Continent that good to you?" he asked.

"It's mostly Brother's pills," the young White Tiger said.

"Surely," the older White Tiger replied before turning to Alex. "So, what are you doing here? Have you found out anything?"

"We came because of something unexpected I found after opening my Soul Space," Alex said. "My apologies, but we haven't learned all that much about Pearl's mother's death as you might've hoped."

The White Tiger frowned but said nothing in regard to what he thought. "That's okay. There's still some time, right?"

"Yes, there's still 14 more years after I return," Alex said. 

"Good," he said. "Take that time to find out whatever you can. However minuscule, find me something. Please."

Alex could hear the desperation in the last word. 

"Actually, we did find something, Grandpa," Pearl said. "It's not about mother's death, but something different, another bad news."

"Hmm, what?" the beast asked. 

Pearl relayed everything they had learned, however minuscule.

Bai Jingshen was shocked. "My daughter… is dead?" the beast asked, his expression shocked. 

Alex could see the hope disappear in the beast's eyes. 'He knew,' he thought. 'He knew this was most likely the possibility, but he had hoped it wouldn't be true.'

That was how Alex had felt about Hannah's survival until he had to give up on that hope for his own sake. He understood.

"Those… bastard," the beast growled with a low rumble.

Alex could feel his skin prick with fear at that voice. 

"I will kill those little shits," he said in a low voice. "Screw the oaths. I'll kill them before heaven kills me."

"White Tiger, calm down," Senior Yang spoke. "I know you are mad, but don't lose yourself to it."

"Why not?" Bai Jingshen asked. "Why should I not just carve the flesh of the one that claims himself a dragon and feast upon his entrails? I know he must be the one that did it. I deserve his death."