Chapter 81

Harmony (2)

"Should I let my hair grow...?"

It's a jest from the supreme ruler who stands alone at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Tree.

She was a lofty figure who rarely showed a jesting face.

He must not take her words lightly. Jeong Yeonshin had to be cautious.

He recalled the days when he traveled to save Hyun Wonchang, engaging in sword discussions with local martial artists to gather information.

He endured verbal sparring to gain their favor and learned the value of hospitality.

High-level practitioners grow their hair. He kept this in mind.

"Even if the leaders of the sects are considered high-level practitioners, wouldn't they acknowledge that much?"

The black domain was said to be the realm of achieving the Three Flowers and the Five Qi.

It was a state where one's true qi responds directly to one's will, a realm capable of matching the elders of the famous Nine Sects.

At that level, it seemed unlikely that long hair would be grabbed in close combat.

Once he stepped into the higher realm, he could let his hair grow.

It was a brief moment of contemplation. He met her green eyes again, and the Lady of the Crimson City spoke.

"You look resolute. It was just a jest."

A faint smile formed at the corners of her lips.

"Even if the martial world is a place where death is a constant companion, the intensity of the trials will not be lacking. You don't look bad."

"......I am honored."

"It's neither something to be grateful for nor something to be ashamed of."

Her tone was as calm as a breeze. She continued slowly.

"Our sect is not stingy with rewards. I called you here to reward your achievements, which are due to your zeal. You should accept what is rightfully yours."

Finally.

The words from the Lady of the Crimson City stirred his heart. He tried to calm himself, but it was difficult.

Even a long, deep breath couldn't settle his racing heart.

If the Lady of the Crimson City knew everything, she didn't show it, maintaining a small smile.

Everything in his field of vision slowed down. Her lips, which had just finished speaking, opened again.

"Your contributions are great. I will mention two of them."

Her beauty, a testament to her supreme martial prowess, didn't register in his mind.

He only stared at her face, which looked to be in her early twenties, as if trying to etch it into his memory.

"Your efforts in finding the headquarters of the sect that harms the people, and your significant contribution to eliminating the bandits without any casualties."

"......"

The former was merely an incident that arose because the Seven Assassins sought Jeong Yeonshin's value.

It was the beginning of the headquarters incident. However, he wasn't embarrassed. The reward that was about to come was more important than anything else.

"You have accumulated sufficient merit. It's time to test your worth."

As she spoke, she extended her hand again.

Her palm, unusually white for a martial artist, slowly rose. Something very strange happened.

The moonlight behind the Lady of the Crimson City was drawn to her hand and began to warp.

It was a truly transcendent sight. It didn't seem like a human act. That's how Jeong Yeonshin felt.

"This is..."

Whoosh.

The giant tree branches surrounding the office emitted a gentle breeze, as if caressing his body.

It was the moment when the leaves, turned green by the moon's brilliant breath, brushed against her entire body.

"This is the fruit of the Heavenly Tree. A small fragment."

It was something like a piece of the moon reflected in a lake, a sliver of light on the Lady of the Crimson City's palm, faint and ethereal.

"......"

Jeong Yeonshin was silent. A gust of wind from outside the wallless room teased his neck and passed by. It was the most mysterious phenomenon he had ever experienced.

Hum.

The vibration was almost divine. He stared intently at the piece of light on the palm of the noble lady.

If this was his life's goal, he felt nothing. It was different from the typical elixirs that boost internal energy.

There was no surging energy. It was filled with a sense of mystique.

"I know what is commonly known."

The Lady of the Crimson City spoke.

When he looked up, he met her gaze, deep like the abyss of a forest. She was staring at him intently.

"Everything is wrong. This is not an elixir that grants great power."

"You mentioned qualifications. Then, what kind of......?"

"You will know when you feel it."

Her hand moved slightly forward, bringing the fragment of light closer.

The more he looked, the more mysterious it became. It didn't seem like anything from this world.

"Try it."

At the Lady of the Crimson City's words, he instinctively raised his hand, but she slowly shook her head.

"It will lose its function once it leaves my body. You must bring your mouth to it."

There is a term, "Jinji Yibao" (奇珎異寳).

It means precious and mysterious treasures. It includes mythical creatures, spiritual beings, and even ginseng that takes on a human form.

It also encompasses the various divine swords that manifest miracles and the famous elixirs of the Central Plains.

The upper echelons of the martial world are said to be filled with things that are difficult to comprehend by common logic.

'Will it lose its function once it leaves the body?'

The Lady of the Crimson City spoke as if she herself were the Heavenly Tree.

Countless questions arose in his mind. Was it bound by some spiritual force?

Did the term "guardian of the Heavenly Tree" encompass such a meaning?

However, he couldn't voice his thoughts. He was afraid of overstepping his bounds.

This was Jeong Yeonshin's current position. He wasn't considered a high-level practitioner by the Lady of the Crimson City. He had to accept what was given.

"Senior Qingming said that the higher the rank, the different the information one encounters."

He decided to aim for the black domain first. For now, that was enough.

'Still...'

Even so, the fragment of the Heavenly Tree before him was a fitting reward. He should take it.

Without hesitation, Jeong Yeonshin slightly lowered his head toward her hand.

At the same time, he slowly opened his mouth. His lower lip touched her hand first, followed by the tip of his nose.

"Huh?"

Jeong Yeonshin let out a puzzled sigh. The Lady of the Crimson City had withdrawn her hand.

"The posture is not good."

Her tone was calm. At the same time, the fragment of the fruit descended to the tip of her hand.

Swoosh.

She extended her hand toward him.

The dim light gradually filled Jeong Yeonshin's vision. It wasn't moving toward his mouth.

It was heading straight for his head, as if a direct path to his Upper Dantian was already responding.

Her long fingers touched Jeong Yeonshin's forehead.

At that moment,

"Whoa!"

His deep breathing was immediately cut off. It couldn't be helped. His consciousness flew away in an instant.

He felt as if he was buried in a deep swamp, and an endless sensation of elevation enveloped and soared, overwhelming all his thoughts.

Whoosh!

It wasn't a surge of power. It was an experience.

It felt as if he had entered the mind of an unapproachable being. A wave of sensations surged. It moved with incredible speed.

He could feel the composition of the air brushing against his skin, bringing the energy of nature.

He became incredibly sensitive, to the point where it felt like he was about to go mad.

He suddenly became aware of time flowing slowly. He saw the moonlight flowing.

At that moment,

Jeong Yeonshin had become the Lady of the Crimson City. He shared her vision and the atmosphere.

He looked at himself through her eyes. The features of the Lady of the Crimson City reflected in the black body were mysterious.

Was there another case like this among all the miracles of the world? It was hard to believe.

...That moment felt like an eternity.

Her delicate breath was clear, but she hadn't even finished exhaling.

The wind that brushed past his ear hadn't even faded. It was unbearable. His Upper Dantian gradually felt like it was about to burn.

"It's done."

The moment the Lady of the Crimson City murmured, the time that had stretched endlessly suddenly resumed its flow.

Whoosh!

Jeong Yeonshin returned to himself. His body staggered. It seemed he had experienced a sensation that transcended even the realm of the superlative.

Just as he was about to lose his balance, a gentle hand gripped his shoulder.

It was the Lady of the Crimson City.

"It's not the right time. You are not yet ready."

She said. Jeong Yeonshin only lifted his head to meet her gaze.

"By 'not yet ready,' you mean......?"

"Your realm is too shallow to accept the fruit. Focus on your cultivation."

"What was the effect of what just happened?"

"I tested whether you could accept the spiritual essence of the Heavenly Tree. Once your mind's vessel is strengthened, as long as the clan's tree does not wither, you will not reach the stage of enlightenment through the Baihui point. You will live eternally."

She spoke of spiritual essence. It seemed to mean sharing the divine nature of the Heavenly Tree to secure one's life.

This, too, was beyond common sense.

Jeong Yeonshin asked if his understanding was correct.

"Your interpretation is correct."

The Lady of the Crimson City slowly nodded. The fruit was the medium.

'What......'

He had