The Days of Being Forced to Become the Savior of a Cultivation Civilization

Fasculla nodded slightly, then conjured its original hand and extended a claw:

"Here, this is what I truly look like. I... am indeed not human—perhaps."

Seeing that Fascula was somewhat downcast, Zhiyue opened his mouth but didn't continue asking. Instead, he tried his best to suppress his surprise, even though he couldn't completely hide it:

"No, I didn't mean anything by it, I just think... this is so cool. My god, shapeshifting really exists?"

"puff."

Yingzi couldn't help but laugh. Zhiyue rarely lost his composure like this; most of the time he was calm and collected, giving off an air of composure. But now, he resembled a child brimming with thirst for knowledge. Fascula also gave a faint smile.

"It's okay, I know it's surprising, and it's great that you accepted it so quickly. Of course, I was even more surprised that the little boy was able to identify me directly."

Yingzi crossed her arms and nodded:

"I know a little bit, I've become quite knowledgeable. Oh, and my cultivation level seems to have recovered a bit too."

Zhiyue twitched the corner of his mouth:

"Is this kind of thing really that common? Why can you say it so calmly?"

Yingzi shrugged:

"People in high positions have a broader perspective, there's a lot you don't know, kid—though I only just remembered it myself."

Zhiyue twitched the corner of his mouth and stopped arguing with him.

"Fascula... lady? Uh, I mean, you're a woman, or a female? Or something else?"

Fascula, who had been feeling down, was now amused by him.

"It's not that strange. My transformation is the same as my original form. In fact, it might be different from what you imagine transformation to be. My transformation is fixed; it's not a disguise that can be changed at any time. It's more like a transformation of form, isn't it?"

Zhiyue fell into deep thought. Yingzi asked, "But you're just a commander without troops now, aren't you? Your people's minds are being controlled by something."

Fasculla slowly sat down, hugging his knees, burying his chin in his arms, and lowering his eyes.

"That's right. I am the leader of the Cooper clan. Just as you said, all my people have been controlled by an unknown force. They... were originally a group of kind and good children, some brave and skilled in battle, some knowledgeable and talented, but now they have all become extremely ferocious, most of them like mindless beasts."

Zhiyue was very curious about what kind of race this was, why it had a blood feud with the Yara clan, and most importantly, why he had never heard of such a species before.

Just then, a crack appeared not far away, revealing a projection of the outside battlefield in this peaceful world. Seven rebels crawled in from it. Uncle Zhang, the last one, was slightly behind, but he returned safely and shut down the spatial connection.

"Phew... These guys are really tough, it took me half a day to take down a few of them, especially that big guy, hitting him is like tickling him."

Old Li wiped the sweat from his brow and complained. Following Zhi Yue's orders, the group didn't engage in a full-blown battle, only making minor contact before retreating. As a result, they were relatively clean and mostly unharmed. Only Uncle Zhang had three bloody wounds on his arm from the large creature's claws; fortunately, they were just scrapes.

"Xiaofeng..."

Fascula muttered to himself, shook his head, and stood up:

"Now that everyone is here, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Fascula, and I am the leader of the Cooper race. I know you are all curious, so next, I will tell you a story about our race, including why we disappeared, why we reappeared, and finally, why I am here—"

-

Long ago, a fierce war raged on this continent. The race called Cooper defeated the Yara and turned it into their granary. From then on, the Yara lived in the shadows, constantly suffering the fear of being devoured.

-

"Where are today's offerings?"

"My lord, here it is, all fresh."

Two branches stretched out from a hunched old tree, supporting a package and handing it to the gray-black furry creature. The creature took the package, opened it, shook it, and looked at it, making a rustling sound.

"What is all this stuff?! A whole bunch of yellow leaves! How many times have I told you, the leader only eats the tenderest leaves, not buds, not yellow, the right size, and the perfect concentration!"

The creature angrily threw the package on the ground and bared its teeth at the old tree.

"Sir, please calm down! We've been getting so little nutrition these days that the young plants aren't sprouting many new leaves. Why don't you look at this old man? I still have some leaves to pick."

The creature glanced at the few bare saplings hiding behind the old tree, then at him, and smiled mockingly.

"You? Forget it, look at yourself, you're so old, I wouldn't even look at you, let alone the leader."

Hmph, you're suffering now because you didn't get enough nutrients. Why didn't you think about the consequences when you slaughtered my people? You deserve it!

"Alright, I'll approve a little more for you. If you all starve, I won't be able to explain it to the leader."

He glanced at the few trembling saplings and gave a sinister laugh:

"Hmph, you little things are starting to grow up soon, aren't you? In a few days, you'll be producing lots of manna, hehe."

He greedily licked his lips, and that face made the little Yaras instinctively huddle together in fear.

-

The Yara people typically draw vital energy from the earth through their powerful root systems, and often capture weaker creatures passing through the Yara Forest. These creatures are bound by branches or roots, and then their robust roots are inserted into their bodies to suck out their nutrients.

Later, a race called the Coopers invaded them.

Their reason for doing this is for food. The Yara are not alone on the Tree of Evolution; they are collectively known as the Yukari. However, perhaps due to the presence of powerful ancestors, it was inevitable that the descendants of this branch would develop sentience and become Primal Beings. This is a prerequisite for a race to fully establish itself on this wild continent and reach its pinnacle.

Unfortunately, the Coopers were no less capable than them. As one of the most powerful races on the continent, the Coopers were naturally resistant to poisons, while the deadly poisons that the Yara were so proud of were more like a source of euphoric pleasure to them.

The Yara tribe is powerful, and if they were only looking for food, they could easily choose other Yukali forests as their habitat. But Yara has something special about it, a fatal attraction for the Cooper tribe—the Manna.

Manna is a secretion unique to the Yara people. It is a white, viscous substance secreted when Yara people are stimulated, such as by fright, intimidation, or injury. In addition, immature individuals will also secrete it naturally during their growth period. It tastes sweet and is rich in energy, making it a superior treasure whether used as food or as a cultivation tool.

But as mentioned earlier, the Yara are one of the most powerful races on the entire continent. Not only are their individual strengths formidable, but they also possess innate treasures to aid their cultivation. Furthermore, they have a top-tier expert, Viminali, the leader of their race, who would dare to lay a finger on them?

The Coopers. To be precise, the then-ruling Fascylla. One day, a Cooper disappeared from the forest, and he used this as a pretext to launch a sudden and devastating attack on the territory of Ara.

Perhaps it was because Fasculla was skilled in strategy and powerful in cultivation that he conquered the territory of Ara in a very short time, killed Ara's leader, Viminali, and turned the entire forest into a food source for his tribe, shocking the world and transforming his entire race into a world-renowned powerful clan.

They were like natural nemesis, breaking through all of their opponent's methods one by one. The entanglement of branches and roots was shattered by their sharp claws, and the deadly poison that choked people's throats was greedily absorbed as a stimulant. With the force of a whirlwind, they uprooted the entire forest in an instant.

However, in the end, he paid the price for his indulgence in pleasure.

At that time, many intelligent species discovered that it was always easier to transform into human form than into other creatures, even among the wild plant tribes. Therefore, there was a saying that "humans are the favorites of the creator god." Many creatures transformed into human form, mingled among them, and experienced the wonders of human form, gaining insights and feelings from it. Naturally, this included some of the Yara people.

Even if some creatures did achieve success, the Coopers still believed that the ancestral laws were immutable, viewed humans as weak and inferior beings, and never transformed into any other form. Their arrogance gradually made them forget the existence of such "people" within the Ara race.

"My lord, there are many people in the Yara tribe who can take human form and travel outside. If we do not eliminate them completely, they may cause trouble and become a great scourge in the future."

However, the leader gripped a cup with three grooves that fit perfectly into his claws. The cup contained a greenish liquid, while a plate beside it held glistening white crystals. His mind was already in a trance.

"No... ignore them. A bunch of things that have abandoned their physical forms, what future can they possibly have!"

"but……"

"But what...! Come, Grand Preceptor, you... are the greatest... contributor to our acquisition of such a vast Warring States period! Come! You should drink too! It's eucalyptus wine made from the freshest and tenderest leaves, it's especially... delicious."

The Imperial Advisor glanced at the cup in the leader's hand, the liquid inside almost spilling out, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

"I was merely doing my duty. This fine wine is for the chief to enjoy alone. I shall take my leave now."

He turned and left, as if he had made up his mind.

Click, splash.

"Hey, hey, hey, how did this wine jug crack by itself... Come on, someone! Give me... a new one, I'll eat first, have some Manna, hahaha... it's sweet..."