My health recovery is incredibly fast.

What was the point of her doing that?

Suddenly, Xia Zuo had a flash of inspiration and realized that Selena was coming for him.

Imagine what would have happened if Selena hadn't left the game halfway through?

When Shazo uses his Blood Element servants to explore the thick smoke and discovers the strange white tree, Selena will likely say the same thing as Little Golden Vitex.

She will tell Xia Zuo about the origin of the white strange tree and part of the truth about the [Land of Long Sleep].

So her goal is...

How can we discourage people from entering the [Land of the Long Sleep]? How can we discourage them from even considering entering the [Land of the Long Sleep] and encourage them to maintain a safe distance from it?

Besides this one, Xia Zuo really couldn't think of any other possibility.

A new question then popped into Xia Zuo's mind:

If Selena wanted to persuade people to stay away from the [Land of the Long Sleep], why didn't she seek cooperation with other alchemists? Taking advantage of the discovery of the strange white tree, she could expose the secret of the [Land of the Long Sleep] held by the Golden Thorn Alchemist Association, using a powerful real-world situation to prevent the Temple from investigating the [Land of the Long Sleep].

This approach should be far more effective than trying to persuade just one person, right?

But Selena didn't do that...

This is why?

Xia Zuo stood at the back of the crowd with a frown on his face. In front of him were alchemists wearing the special alchemy robes of their respective departments—the alchemist research group that focused on researching metals that could be restored, the research group that was determined to improve the ductility of metals, and so on.

Of the eight groups, four were research groups related to metals. Of the remaining four groups, apart from Xia Zuo and his group of lone wolves, the other three groups were research groups studying cave geology, corrosive gases, and aerodynamics.

Metals require high temperatures to heat up, and among alchemists who work with metals, many have learned the [Furnace] meditation method.

Taking this into account, a closer look at the composition of the members involved in this operation will reveal new insights.

Xia Zuochao unleashed his detection spell on the alchemists gathered in the alchemy room, comparing the feedback with the records in his [Knowledge Reserve].

Three minutes later, he turned and left without a word, returning to his alchemy room and locking the door.

Every time Xia Zuo holds a meeting, he habitually collects the persona templates of the participants and records his judgments and analysis of the relationships between them. This not only helps him pass the boring meeting time but also enriches his knowledge base.

The benefits of doing this are becoming apparent now.

According to Xia Zuo's previous records, nearly three-quarters of the alchemists participating in this mission were connected to the Bloodline Research Group. They were either close research partners with the Bloodline Research Group or had previously worked in the Bloodline Research Group before being transferred to their current research group.

This group of people gathered together to do missions, and whatever they discovered or researched would eventually be handed over to Tauvinsett and the mysterious cloaked man.

Selena didn't want these people to know the true nature of the "Land of the Dead," lest Tauvinset and the Cloaked Man discover the truth, which is why she chose to cooperate only with Shazo.

The core members of the Golden Thorn Alchemist Association probably had the same idea, which is why they did not participate in this mission.

Based on this speculation… wouldn't the Golden Thorn Alchemist Association and the Cloaked Man be rivals? At a critical moment when the pureblood mage was being targeted by the Cloaked Man, Selena revealed the secret of the [Land of Long Sleep] to Xia Zuo, clearly wanting to gain his trust and form an alliance.

At a time when allies are needed to help the pure-blood mage faction overcome difficulties, Xia Zuo really needs a faction to help him share some of the pressure.

If the Golden Thorn Alchemists' Association is indeed opposed to the Cloaked Man, then it would undoubtedly be an excellent ally!

Thinking of this, Xia Zuo felt somewhat excited.

He calmed himself down, sat down at his desk, poured two vials of medicine into the culture jar, and then reached out and pressed his hand against the glass cover, proactively requesting a connection from the little golden chaste tree.

"Melina, I have a question to ask."

"What?" Little Golden Vitex raised her flower buds and looked at Xia Zuo.

"Selena brought you here to cooperate with me, is it to remind me not to search for the [Land of Eternal Rest]?"

The little golden thorn flower bud swayed up and down. "Yes, it's very dangerous there. It's not a place for flesh and blood to go. If you go to the [Land of Eternal Rest] in spirit form, you'll never come back."

"Should I tell this information to the Temple Guards and the other groups? They're worried about the origins of Kamashiberian," Xia Zuo asked knowingly.

"No, please don't tell anyone what I said." Little Golden Bauhinia shook her "head" firmly. "Selena and I only wanted to warn you about the dangers of the [Land of Long Rest]. We don't want to dissuade anyone else."

Xia Zuo tried his best to keep his tone calm and to soften the look of curiosity in his eyes so as not to frighten the little golden thorn:

"Can you tell me why you did this?"

"Okay." The little golden chaste tree bent a leaf and pressed it against its calyx, a position that it believed corresponded to a human chin.

After thinking for a few seconds, Little Golden Vitex said:

"Xia Zuo, as I said before, this is a very, very long story, spanning tens of thousands of years on the natural time scale, which is a very long time for both humans and us Golden Vitex."

Let me use a simple analogy to help you understand:

"Imagine the earth beneath our feet is a container for fermenting food."

"This container was artificially filled with many ingredients waiting to ferment, as well as tiny organisms for fermentation. The person who set up the container also placed some instruments inside to better monitor the fermentation process."

"Once everything is ready, he will cover and seal the container, while monitoring the temperature on the instrument and waiting for the moment when fermentation is successful."

"Do you think someone with such extensive experience in fermented foods would know what kind of food would ultimately be produced inside the container?"

Xia Zuo nodded thoughtfully, "He even used monitoring equipment, so of course he would know what the final product is... Wait, why does that analogy you used sound so familiar?"

Xia Zuo snapped his fingers. "Isn't this the theory of 'predetermined natural evolution'?"

“Yes, Xia Zuo.” The little golden thorn flower seemed a bit “thirsty” and pointed with its branches to the alchemy pouch next to the culture jar.

Xia Zuo took out two bottles of medicine and poured them onto the glass cover.

A light drizzle fell inside the glass dome. Xia Zuo watched as glistening water droplets slid off the buds of the golden chaste tree and asked:

"So, you mean this land is a 'fermentation vessel' set up by Vasaksat, and all the members of the temple, including myself, are 'ingredients,' while the Otherworlders of the Church of the Otherworlders are 'monitoring instruments,' right? Then what are the 'microorganisms' used for fermentation?"

"You only guessed a small part correctly," Little Golden Bauhinia said, surprising everyone.

"This land is a 'fermentation vessel,' that's true."

"But the 'ingredients' are not human beings. All the creatures and demons on this land, including plants and trees, are 'microorganisms' used for fermentation."

Xia Zuo was speechless with surprise. He stared blankly for a few seconds before asking, "Are you saying that we humans and the Otherworldly Demons were all orchestrated by Vasaksat? So we and the Otherworldly Demons are actually on the same side?"

"No, Xia Zuo, you and the Otherworldly Demons are still enemies."

Little Golden Vitex patiently explained:

"In the beginning, the 'microorganisms' used for fermentation were diverse, far beyond just humans and demons. You, us, the demons, and some other surviving species were the ones who stood out from the many 'microorganisms' after being selected by the river of time. Only those who survive to the end are qualified to enjoy the 'ingredients' waiting to ferment."

"Who are the 'ingredients'?" Xia Zuo asked.

“You’ve already seen it,” said the little golden bauhinia.

"The 'ingredients' that Vasaksat wants to ferment are the Kamashirbia Tree, which rests in peace in the [Land of Long Sleep]. To be precise, it is the remains of Kamashirbia."

"The corpse of a tree?" Xia Zuo scratched his head. "Then what is the Tree of Fate?"

"The Tree of Fate is a celestial being that has mastered the laws of space and time. The word 'Fate' in their name signifies the three sub-domains of the laws of space and time they control: 'Destiny,' 'Encounter,' and 'End.'"

“As you know, Vasaksat is also a Star Demon who has mastered the laws of spacetime. It craves more power related to the laws of spacetime. Before it can devour the offspring of the Bond Tree, it must first ‘ferment’ the one from Kamashirbia before it can consume it.”

"So what exactly does 'fermentation' refer to?" Xia Zuo asked.

"Depending on the microorganisms used in fermentation, the fermentation method will also be different."

The little golden jujube flower's curved leaves pointed to itself:

"If we, the plants, are the ones who survive to the end on this land, then the method of 'fermentation' is to transform them into vegetation. We will transform Kamashirbia, which exists in spiritual form, into physical plants, and then provide them to Vasaksat for consumption."

The little golden thorn flower points to Xia Zuo:

"If humanity wins the war between the 'tiny creatures,' then you will materialize Kamahirbia and create alchemical dishes made from metal ores or other materials."

The little golden jujube tree turned its branches and leaves to face east:

"The Church of the Otherworldly Demons is actually composed of two kinds of 'micro-creatures': flesh demons that can turn 'ingredients' into flesh and blood, and shadow demons that can turn 'ingredients' into shadows. Although these two kinds of demons bear the name of otherworldly demons, they are the lowest-ranking terrestrial demons. The next level up is the celestial demons, and above that are the high-ranking demons that rule over terrestrial and celestial demons. Vasaksat belongs to the high-ranking demons."

Little Golden Thorn Flower looked up at Xia Zuo and said, "No matter what the outcome, the remains of Kamashirbia will not escape being devoured by Vasaksat. The only difference is the method of consumption. As for us, who are used to ferment food, we will also be recycled by Vasaksat after our mission is accomplished. Those who are useful will be kept, and those who are not will be cleaned up... This method of using different creatures to process 'food' to make 'food' harmless and easy to absorb or use is one of the concepts of the Saguma Way."

"So that's how it is..."

Xia Zuo leaned back in his chair, let out a long sigh, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on his face:

"I never imagined it, I never imagined it. We were all just tools of Vasaksat. We were so naive to think that defeating the Church of the Otherworld would dispel the Creation Smoke and allow us to explore other planets. Now it seems that dispelling the Creation Smoke is just putting ourselves on Vasaksat's dinner table... Is there really nothing we can do...?"

“Don’t despair, Shazo.” Little Golden Vitex patted the glass dome. “The ‘fermentation’ has taken an unexpected turn that Vasaksat never anticipated.”

Xia Zuo sat up straight and rubbed his cheeks a couple of times. "What changes?"

"Take a guess, what kind of 'monitoring instruments' Vasaksat placed in the fermentation vessel?"

“This…” Xia Zuo pondered for a few seconds and offered a few answers, “Shamanic school? The alien demons of the starry sky outside the smoke of creation?”

"No, that's not right." Little Golden Vitex shook itself.

Xia Zuo pondered for a few more seconds, his eyes slowly widening. "Could it be Sodike Black Flag?"

"Yes! That's it."

Upon hearing the name of the deceased Sodike Black Flag, Little Golden Vitex seemed to brighten up, cheerfully swaying its slender "waist" as it said:

"Sodike Black Flag is a fully evolved aberration. For Vasaksat, Sodike Black Flag's role is not just to monitor 'microorganisms'."

"As a fully evolved variant, Sodike Blackflag is able to effectively collect new biological types or new biological forms generated in the 'fermentation vessel'."

"In the Path of Saguma, complete form aberrations like Sodike Black Flag are given the title of 'Automated, Full Ecological Environment, Biological Data Editing and Collection Device.' In the alien language taught by Vasaksat, complete form aberrations are respectfully called 'Nezlonko,' which translates to 'the superior being in charge of biological sampling' in the Temple's common language."

“Each time it witnesses the entire process of ‘food fermentation,’ the complete morphology aberration will edit many new organisms. It will collect the data of these organisms to provide Vasaksat with a richer selection of ‘microorganisms’.”

The little golden vitex flower holds its two leaves to its chest, like a little girl clasping her hands together in front of her chest, her eyes full of joy:

"Now that Sodike Blackflag is dead, Vasaksat can no longer monitor the situation on this continent."

"We 'tiny organisms' used for fermentation no longer need to compete for the opportunity to 'ferment' Kamahirbia in the disputes orchestrated by Sodike Black Flag."

“We can absolutely unite to fight against Vasaksat. Of course, those we can unite with do not include the Otherworlders and the Otherworlder Church, as they share the same origin as Vasaksat and have always been on the same side.”

Chapter 22 Torchlight

Little Golden Vitex's words stirred up a storm in Xia Zuo's mind.

He paced around the desk, pondering for a full ten minutes before finally regaining his composure amidst the shock of the world's truth.

"Melina, I have two more questions. Could you please answer them for me?"

Xia Zuo suppressed his excitement, sat down at his desk, and asked: