The next morning, Su Wanyi, who was guarding Shu Han outside the treehouse, was abruptly awakened. Opening her eyes, she found Zhuo Chun standing there.

A wave of revulsion washed over Su Wanyi, and she demanded, "What are you doing here?"

Zhuo Chun replied with a regretful smile, "Wanyi, don't be so hostile. We are of the same tribe. I admit I overreacted yesterday. On reflection, since you personally witnessed the descent of the ancestral spirit through the tree, there's no doubt about this person. I was too rigid in my thinking yesterday. Our Forest Clan is in crisis, and sticking to old ways won't save us. Therefore, I came today to invite him to ascend the Spirit Altar."

Her feelings of revulsion faded, and Su Wanyi nodded. "That's the right way to think. We are all here for our tribe. Wait here, and I will call for him."

"No need."

Shu Han emerged from the treehouse and said, "Since there's no one to stop me now, for the sake of the Forest Clan, I should ascend the Spirit Altar as soon as possible."

Seeing Shu Han, Zhuo Chun's murderous gaze from yesterday was replaced by one of reverence, even bordering on obsequiousness.

He chuckled and apologized, "My lord, I am sorry for my disrespect yesterday. In the future, you will undoubtedly hold great power. I hope you can overlook my past mistakes and take care of me."

Reading between the lines!

Shu Han wondered what Wei Haolong had told Zhuo Chun last night to make him so subservient.

"No worries! We will always be brothers of the same tribe, and we should support each other."

Zhuo Chun's eyes lit up, his smile broadening as he quickly cleared the way for Shu Han.

Su Wanyi, witnessing this servile attitude, felt uneasy and thought, 'What has gotten into him?'

Following Zhuo Chun to the Spirit Altar, all the guards had been dismissed by him. Leaning into Shu Han's ear, he whispered, "Blazing fire clouds above, roaring earth dragon flames below! My lord, I've made excuses to send away all the guards at the Spirit Altar. Are you satisfied with this?"

"Very good, you will be greatly rewarded in the future."

Shu Han responded indifferently, causing immense joy to surge in Zhuo Chun's heart.

Suddenly, Shu Han's Clear Bright Spiritual Eye spotted a phantom—it was Wei Haolong.

Using the Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique, Wei Haolong hid near Zhuo Chun, whispering to Shu Han, "How is it? I've trained this bootlicker well, haven't I? I've praised you as Song Changyi, the prime successor of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, while I don't need any exaggeration, as my father is indeed the second-in-command. Our status scared the wits out of him. Old Yu, are you confident?"

Shu Han whispered back, "Almost a sure bet!"

"How long will it take?"

"I'm not sure, but it should be quick. You wait here for now. With Zhuo Chun's assistance, we don't need to worry about being exposed. However, if I don't come back down from the ancestral tree within three months, you should find a way to leave the Southern Forest quickly. A great battle is coming."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Alright! I'm relying on you! Be careful. And remember, you owe me for that beating you gave me. I'll get back at you when I get the chance!"

With that, Wei Haolong turned and left the Spirit Altar.

Shu Han smiled and slowly ascended the Spirit Stone Steps. As he stepped onto the stone steps, thinking of Su Wanyi's reminder, he slowed down, trying to communicate with the ancestral tree.

However, after trying for a while, he felt nothing.

He scolded himself mentally, 'How silly of me! I'm not a member of the Forest Clan. What was I expecting to feel?'

Facing the long flight of steps, Shu Han decided to feign a profound experience, slowly climbing each step to avoid exposing himself.

After more than an hour, he finally reached the Spirit Altar. Standing on it, he gazed at the majestic ancient tree in front of him, a look of concern on his face.

Now what?

He discreetly took out a handful of Earth Goddess Celestial Soil, murmuring, "O Ancestral Tree, would you like some fresh and premium Earth Goddess Celestial Soil?"

As expected, the previously motionless ancestral tree shuddered.

Both Su Wanyi and Zhuo Chun below were shocked. They had never seen the ancient tree tremble before.

Below the Spirit Altar, Su Wanyi knelt down, tears streaming down her face, murmuring devoutly, "He truly is the one chosen by the ancestral tree! I hope his sincere devotion can touch the ancestral spirit and find a way to ensure our tribe's survival."

On the Spirit Altar, Shu Han whispered, "Hey, just to let you know, it's not free! I want the Heart-Seeker Holy Petal and the Heart of the Ancestral Tree in exchange!"

Seeing that the ancient tree did not react, Shu Han upped the ante. He took out another handful of Earth Goddess Celestial Soil, saying, "Don't push it. This is all I have. If you want to trade, do it quickly. Once this opportunity is gone, there won't be another!"

Finally, the ancestral tree swayed again. Countless flowers fell from the tree, forming a snowy-white staircase leading directly to the Spirit Altar.

The sight completely stunned all the Forest Clan members in the ancestral tree space. Never in their history had they witnessed such a grand spectacle. They all broke into tears, kneeling and paying their utmost respect.

Shu Han stepped onto the flowery steps and walked towards the ancient tree. Suddenly, as he stepped onto a particular step, the space around him began to distort. In a blink of an eye, Shu Han found himself in a strange realm.

Below him was soil that emitted blue and white lights, and he was surrounded by a vast white expanse. At the center of the blue-glowing soil grew a tiny sapling.

Using his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, Shu Han could see that the sapling seemed to contain an infinite amount of pure wood spiritual power.

Drawn to it, he approached. However, suddenly, the sapling trembled and astonishingly started to morph, transforming into a two or three-year-old chubby child with snow-white skin.

The chubby child, with big eyes, stared at Shu Han, sucking on his plump fingers. Drool dripped down as he pointed at the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil in Shu Han's hand.

Shu Han's eyes twitched, and he couldn't help but ask, "Are you the spirit of the ancestral tree?"

The little chubby child made unintelligible baby noises, and while Shu Han couldn't understand a word, he could sense the spiritual vibrations and grasp the child's meaning.

This chubby child was indeed the spirit of the ancestral tree, and it had only recently taken on this form.

Looking at the clueless chubby child before him, Shu Han was astonished. He could clearly sense that due to its recent transformation, the child's spiritual intelligence was not high.

Was this naive chubby child really the esteemed ancestral spirit worshiped by generations of the Forest Clan?

The Forest Clan had so many historical tales, rituals, and customs about the ancestral tree. Shu Han even heard from Su Wanyi that the tribe had a massive tome of millions of words, specifically to explain the various phenomena and significance associated with the ancestral tree.

But now, it seemed all these interpretations were just over-readings of the whimsical actions of a newly transformed tree spirit.

Shu Han was flabbergasted, thinking, 'This is just too ridiculous!'

The chubby child crawled closer to Shu Han, clamoring for the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil.

Sighing in resignation, Shu Han explained, "As I said, if you want the Earth Goddess Celestial Soil, you need to give me the Heart of the Ancestral Tree and the Heart-Seeker Holy Petal."

The little chubby boy pouted, then clenched his tiny fists, his little face turning beet red.

Shu Han exclaimed in shock, "That expression! You aren't trying to poop, are you?"

Bang!

Suddenly, a dozen or so fragrant flowers sprouted atop his head.

It was the Heart-Seeker Holy Petal!