Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

"So, the ancient silver tree is also known as the World Tree?"

Jiang Bai sensed something was wrong.

The silvery-white ancient tree is a real entity.

It's important to know that whether it's Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain or Crane View, the reason Sky Island dropped the Frost Nails was to destroy the ancient silver trees there.

If the Silvery Ancient Tree is the World Tree, then Sky Island has no reason to destroy it.

After all, the World Tree records the entire world; what's the point of destroying a section of it?

Or is it that after the World Tree grew into a huge branch on the ground, its nature changed and it would bring some bad things, so it needed to be destroyed?

"Perhaps."

Dain gave an ambiguous answer regarding imitation.

Jiang Bai disliked this kind of cryptic talk.

"What do you mean by that? Can't you give me a definite answer?"

"I'm sorry, I can't recall that part of my memory."

"Many of my memories have been worn away, and I have a hard time recalling them unless a trigger point appears."

"If you are curious about the World Tree, you can go to Sumeru to find the Grass God. The Grass God's power is connected to the World Tree. If He wants, He can see all the past memories of the world."

Jiang Bai and Kong both had a thought at the same time.

If that's the case, then Sora will surely be able to learn about his sister from the Grass God.

How exactly did they arrive, and why did the younger sister become the princess of the Abyss Order?

Perhaps the answer to everything can be found in Sumeru.

As for Jiang Bai, he was more curious about the secrets of this world.

These secrets have a significant impact on the final outcome.

"It seems that going to Sumeru is urgent." Jiang Bai planned to go there as soon as things were finished here.

"You're also going to Sumeru? Then let's travel together!"

Paimon was very happy; it was wonderful to have old friends with him in a new country.

"Ah."

"Alright, let's get back to the previous topic," Daines Reeb brought the conversation back on track.

"They seem to be able to control the nodes of the teleportation network. After leaving the network, I found myself alone in the lair of the Stormterror. That node must have been created specifically to corrupt the Stormterror..."

Paimon looked at him somewhat nervously, "Speaking of which, where are the eyes of that tiller?"

You should know that the eye of that tiller was found in the Wind Dragon Ruins.

“I’ve made all the arrangements. There’s no need to worry about it falling into the hands of the Abyss Order until we figure out the so-called ‘Loom of Destiny’ plan.”

"Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Kong looked at him and asked the question she had wanted to ask for a long time.

"Kanria's Endblade, what exactly is your relationship with my sister?"

"Did you remember this name...?"

Daines Reb didn't really want to hear that name.

“It’s not that I’m trying to hide it. This name once shone with the glory of Kanria, but now it’s more like an irony, a curse.”

"As the captain of the palace guard who witnessed the fall of his country, I think I have reason not to mention this title again."

Paimon frowned and rested his chin on his hand.

"It seems your sister is telling the truth."

"Your sister and I were once like you and Paimon are now, we were travel companions."

Sora and Paimon exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with confusion.

If they are travel companions who spend every day together, why would they go down completely opposite paths?

Could they even become enemies?

What exactly happened here...?

"It was a journey filled with pain as we relentlessly pursued our destiny. It's just that we couldn't reach the end together."

Chapter 669 The Truth About the Curse

"The end of the journey..."

Kong murmured this sentence.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard that phrase.

Wendy once told him to remember the meaning of the journey.

Ying said to him, "See you at the end of the journey."

What does this endpoint really mean?

What exactly is at the end of the journey?

"Alright, that concludes the Q&A session. Assuming my guess about the Abyss Order's teleportation network is correct, and I've been teleported here, then it means there's value in having a teleportation node here. Perhaps we're being watched by the Abyss."

"What you're saying gives me the creeps."

Paimon hugged his arms, quietly shrank behind Kong, and looked around suspiciously.

"You guessed right. The Abyss Order does indeed have a conspiracy."

Jiang Bai recounted everything that had happened here.

Including the two Abyss Apostles I encountered here the first time I came.

"Upside-down ruins..."

Daines Reb looked up at the spring above him.

He had already noticed that the place was upside down, but he wasn't sure whether it was just this particular spot or everything around it that was upside down.

"Speaking of which, we've seen quite a few Hilichurls along the way. Why did the Abyss Order drive the Hilichurls here?"

"I think it might be because of this spring."

Is there anything special about this spring water?

"I can feel it weakening the curse's effect."

“A curse!” Paimon suddenly remembered what Dain had once said.

"I remember you said that as a citizen of Kanria, you were cursed with immortality or something..."

“That’s right. For hundreds of years, the pain brought by the curse has still haunted me every day. But coming here, I have felt a moment of respite.”

Daiyin looked up at the pure blue spring water above her.

"At this very moment, my body is expressing a strong desire to me—to stay. But as far as I know, the Abyss Order does not yet possess technology with a similar effect."

"Why does this spring water have the effect of weakening the curse?" Jiang Bai became more and more confused as he listened.

The spring water must have existed alongside the ruins from the beginning.

With Dain's confirmation, it can be determined that it was not created by the Abyss Order.

Was it possible that some of the people here had been cursed or had witnessed a cursed civilization and were filled with fear, so they created this spring?

Jiang Bai thought this conjecture was quite reasonable.

He now understands that most Hilichurls were originally humans.

These humans were cursed and eventually turned into mindless monsters.

Having witnessed the tragic state of their comrades, it's perfectly normal to feel panicked and take precautions.

Unfortunately, there are no inscriptions or murals here, so it is impossible to know how the spring water created these murals.

“Take me to see those Hilichurls,” Dain said.

The three nodded and led him to a place where many Hilichurls had gathered.

Dain crouched down, examined the condition of the Hilichurls, and suddenly asked a question.

Do you know why Hilichurls wear masks?

Jiang Bai nodded.

“I know that. Because they are all avoiding seeing their current appearance, afraid to see their reflection in the water.”

“That’s right. Their current appearance is far too ugly and far too desperate compared to their memories of themselves.”

"As expected, Hilichurls are also..." Sora's expression was somewhat unpleasant.

Although I had guessed this outcome, it still felt absurd when the confirmed answer came.

If you encounter a Hilichurl again, it's best not to resort to violence.

Dain said in a deep voice, "The [Undying] curse is not true immortality. Under the effect of wear and tear, the soul and body will gradually be worn away, even if not in the form of death."

"So, their souls were worn away and they became Hilichurls, but they can still recall what they used to look like in fragments of memory."

Jiang Bai looked at the surrounding Hilichurls with a complicated expression.

These Hilichurls may have lived for a very long time.

They die when their souls are completely consumed.

Dain withdrew his hand and scanned the surrounding Hilichurls.

Although centuries of experience had made it difficult for him to feel any emotion, seeing these Hilichurls still brought him sorrow.

"When these Hilichurls realize that their end is near, they seem to instinctively seek out a dark and quiet corner to bid farewell to centuries of suffering."

"This curse is far too cruel..." Kong sighed, powerless to do anything about it.

"I don't think the curse is the goal." Jiang Bai had a different guess.

Since the World Tree contains all the past and memories of the world, even emotions can be transformed into power.

What about these painful memories?

Won't they place a huge burden on the World Tree?

Won't that affect the World Tree?

The Divine Cherry Tree needs regular purification rituals, so why doesn't the World Tree?

Therefore, there is probably only one reason why Tianli chose to use curses.

That is, He cannot directly obliterate a person's soul; He can only use this slow method to gradually annihilate both the soul and the body.

“Your guess is probably very close to the truth,” Dain agreed.

As someone who has remained conscious despite being ravaged by the curse, no one should understand the curse better than him.

The curse gradually erodes his memory, soul, and cognition until he completely loses himself.

Having answered one question, Jiang Bai had even more questions.

"But why? Why cast a curse? Is it punishment?"

“Punishment, isn’t that reason enough?” Dain closed his eyes, concealing the raging anger within them.

"Human beings' yearning for divine mercy is a mistake."

When in love, one gives whatever is asked; when in hate, one does the same.

The entire nation, all its citizens, were punished without exception.

The mistakes of a few should be paid for by everyone.

He harbors hatred, a hatred that has never ceased for 500 years.

But he also knew very well that...

The Abyss Order is on the wrong path.