The world around Yun Lintian's group stabilized as they stepped into the safe zone. The air here was calm, free from the distortions plaguing the rest of the ruins.
At the center stood a towering silver-leafed tree, its bark gleaming like polished metal, its leaves shimmering with an otherworldly glow.
Zhou Xuan let out a relieved sigh. "We're safe... for now."
Yun Lintian's gaze fixed on the tree. "This is what you mentioned?"
Zhou Xuan nodded. "Yes, Senior. We don't know what it is, but wherever this tree grows, the temporal distortions can't reach. The Temporal Beasts avoid it too."
He pulled out the crude compass from his robe. "The leaves can be used to make these. They point toward the nearest safe zone, but..." He sighed. "They can't lead us out of the ruins."
Mei Ling added quietly, "Many believe this tree might be the key to escaping. But no one has figured out how."
Yun Lintian's Eyes of Heaven activated, their golden and azure hues intensifying as he studied the tree.
The tree wasn't just resisting the temporal distortions—it was untouched by them entirely, as if existing outside the ruins' laws. Its roots delved deep into the earth, anchoring something... or perhaps suppressing something.
Before he could analyze further, rustling came from the surrounding foliage.
Five figures emerged—three men and two women, their robes as tattered as Zhou Xuan's group. The tallest among them, a broad-shouldered man with a scar across his cheek, broke into a grin when he saw Zhou Xuan.
"Brother Zhou! You're alive!"
Zhou Xuan smiled wearily. "Brother Feng. It's good to see you."
The newcomers' eyes flickered toward Yun Lintian and his group, lingering curiously on Linlin and Qingqing perched on his shoulders.
The scarred man—Feng—cupped his fists respectfully. "This one is Feng Yang of the Blazing Sun Sect. May I ask who this senior is?"
Zhou Xuan quickly introduced them. "This is Senior Yun Lintian. He... saved us from the Temporal Beasts."
Feng Yang's eyes widened slightly. "You fought those things and survived?"
Yun Lintian didn't answer, his attention still partially on the silver tree.
One of the women in Feng's group, a sharp-eyed cultivator with short hair, stepped forward. "Senior, if you can face the Temporal Beasts, perhaps you can help us with something."
Yun Lintian finally glanced at her. "Speak."
She took a deep breath. "We've found something... strange. A ruin within the ruins. It's guarded by a beast we've never seen before—one that doesn't seem affected by time either."
Feng Yang nodded grimly. "It looks like a giant serpent, but its scales are made of the same material as this silver tree."
Zhou Xuan frowned deeply at Feng Yang's words. "A ruin within the ruins? I've never encountered such a place before."
Feng Yang shook his head. "Neither have I—until now. We stumbled upon it by accident while fleeing from Temporal Beasts."
Mei Ling's eyes narrowed with dissatisfaction. "Then why would you suggest Senior Yun go there? If even you don't know what it is—"
Feng Yang and the sharp-eyed woman suddenly paled, realizing their recklessness. The woman immediately bowed deeply.
"Forgive us, Senior! We didn't think—"
Feng Yang joined her in bowing. "We were too excited after hearing you can handle the Temporal Beasts so easily. We acted rashly."
Yun Lintian waved a hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter." His gaze turned back to Feng Yang. "You said this new area has normal time flow?"
Feng Yang nodded vigorously. "Yes! Just safe zone. But that silver-scaled serpent... I didn't dare stay longer to investigate."
Yun Lintian contemplated for a moment before speaking. "We'll investigate later. First, I need to understand this tree."
No one objected. Even Qingqing and Linlin remained unusually quiet, sensing the importance of this moment.
Yun Lintian approached the towering silver tree, his Eyes of Heaven glowing intensely. Up close, he could see intricate patterns woven into its bark—patterns that resembled primordial runes older than any cultivation technique in this era.
He reached out and placed a hand on the trunk.
A pulse of energy traveled up his arm—perfectly balanced between creation and destruction, order and chaos. It reminded him of the chaos energy, but...
"More refined," Yun Lintian murmured. "As if this is the perfected version."
The tree's leaves rustled without wind, and a faint whisper brushed against his consciousness.
"You... carry a fragment... of the old world..."
Yun Lintian's eyes sharpened. "Who are you?"
The voice grew clearer, ancient yet timeless:
"A guardian... a remnant... of the First Tree."
Before Yun Lintian could inquire further, Qingqing suddenly squeaked:
"Big Brother Yun! Look!"
One of the silver leaves had detached itself and floated down, landing perfectly in Yun Lintian's palm. The moment it touched his skin, the leaf dissolved into liquid silver energy, seeping into his body.
A vision exploded in his mind—
A colossal tree, its branches spanning infinite worlds.
A war that shattered reality.
And finally... a prison, sealed beneath the ruins.
Yun Lintian's breath caught. "So that's what this is."
Zhou Xuan and the others stared in awe as the silver tree's glow intensified momentarily before returning to normal.
"Senior...?" Mei Ling asked hesitantly.
Yun Lintian shook his head and said. "It's nothing. This place might hold a secret that is more terrifying than we thought."
A cold, arrogant voice suddenly cut through the air.
The space around the silver tree distorted as two figures materialized—a man clad in golden battle armor and a woman draped in flowing crimson robes. Their auras radiated with the unmistakable pressure of True Gods.
Zhou Xuan and Feng Yang's faces turned deathly pale.
The two True Gods didn't even glance at the weaker cultivators. Their cold eyes locked onto Yun Lintian.
The Golden Armor Saint crossed his arms, his voice dripping with disdain. "You. Explain what you just discovered about this tree."
The Crimson Lotus Matriarch smirked. "Don't waste our time. Speak, and perhaps we'll let you live."
Yun Lintian didn't even bother looking at them, still studying the silver tree with mild interest.
Qingqing, however, huffed in annoyance. "Hmph! Who do you think you're talking to?!"
She waved her tiny hand, and a gale force wind erupted toward the two True Gods.
The Golden Armor Saint frowned and raised a barrier, while the Crimson Lotus Matriarch flicked her sleeve to disperse the attack.
The wind shattered their defenses, forcing both True Gods to retreat several steps. Their expressions darkened in shock.
The Crimson Lotus Matriarch's eyes narrowed. "A True Spirit at the threshold of True God realm... How rare."
The Golden Armor Saint's gaze turned greedy. "Such a spirit beast would make an excellent mount."