Chapter 20: Second Master

In the dense forest below, the blue energy that typically enveloped the world like a light blue fog swirled in a slow yet deliberate motion, resembling a massive whirlwind storm that spanned roughly a mile in diameter. This ethereal energy, drawn from the surrounding area, was being inexorably pulled into something deep within the forest. When Hua Yazhu added her telescopic vision to her soul sight and zoomed in on a section of the forest a few meters away, the source of the disturbance became unmistakably clear.

There were twenty-seven towering tree crowns siphoning the energy from the air above, their roots greedily drawing the life force from the earth below. Each tree seemed to act as a conduit, channeling these vast amounts of energy through their roots toward a central point—the largest and most imposing tree among them, the twenty-eighth tree in the formation.

This central tree was a palm-like behemoth, standing a staggering 44 meters tall, dwarfing the surrounding trees. Its trunk appeared as though nine thick-barked palm trees had been twisted together to form a single tree. This twisted structure caused the trunk to taper dramatically from base to crown, with the top of the trunk barely two meters thick, while the base expanded to a massive nine meters in diameter. From this broad base, colossal roots extended outward in all directions, snaking in and out of the earth like the tendrils, with these roots connecting intricately to the twenty-seven surrounding trees.

Atop this colossal palm tree sat a massive red flower, similar in appearance to a rose yet to bloom. The flower's deep crimson petals were tightly coiled, shrouding lay within its core, with the flower itself seeming to draw in the ambient blue energy with an almost magnetic pull.

The God Tree.

'What the fuck?' Wong Yazhu thought to herself.

She had known the God Tree had grown massive, but why had she never thought of looking at the God Tree with soul sight? No, she knew the answer. It was because she knew she couldn't see inside the God Tree with soul sight, so she had never thought to look at it again, and thus never saw what was happening to the surrounding Qi due to it siphoning the energy.

"This is..." Wong Yazhu began.

"A Soul Beast," Tang Hao cut her off. "One of the most unique Soul Beasts I have ever seen in my years of living."

'???' Wong Yazhu was puzzled but said nothing.

"Do you know the reason?" Tang Hao asked, slipping his hand into his pocket.

"Its cultivation speed?" Wong Yazhu guessed.

Tang Hao nodded. "It has the fastest cultivation speed of any and all spirit beasts and soul masters on the planet."

"There is no way." Wong Yazhu's head snapped to Tang Hao, surprise evident on her face. "The world?"

"Unlike you, who have perfect affinity to the five basic elements, this plant has perfect affinity to all nine elements," Tang Hao explained.

"NINE!?" Wong Yazhu exclaimed.

"All nine, which allows it to cultivate faster than any known creature," Tang Hao continued. "This is the first time I have seen something like this. When I found it five months ago, it was only about forty years old, but now it's two hundred and fifty years old." He paused. "At the rate it is cultivating, it should reach a thousand years in a year."

'So, I would assume the actual age and the cultivation age of the soul beasts are not the same.' Wong Yazhu thought. 'Age should just be the soul-beast cultivation stage.' She looked up at the taller man. "Then why did you bring me here? So I can kill it and absorb its spirit ring?"

Tang Hao frowned. "I won't allow you to kill this plant, but I brought you here to understand it clearly." He looked back at the distance at the God Tree. "Seeing as you could see my spirit rings, I assume you can see within the tree."

'I can't see inside!' but she decided to just say what she could see. "Well, I see the tree is connected to twenty-seven other trees around it in some kind of symbiotic relationship through its roots, which allows it to expand the range it could absorb the world's energy from while also speeding up the trees' cultivation speed."

Tang Hao said nothing, and Wong Yazhu continued, "Most of the energy the trees absorb flows into its body, while the remaining remains within the tree." 

At that moment, she noticed something, causing her to squint. She could see yellow-like veins flowing through the trees bodies, like the yellow ring that rose up from the plant spirit beast they had cut down in the Wong family's backyard. "All the trees surrounding it also seem to be plant spirit beasts, and I guess they are all over 100 years old."

Tang Hao nodded, looking forward with Wong Yazhu continuing, "And most of its energy," she raised her right hand to point, "is flowing towards the flower bud on its top."

"The flower bud." Tang Hao mumbled, folding his arm. "What else can you see?"

"Can we move a bit closer?" Wong Yazhu asked as she stopped using her telescopic vision. "Trying to see far and see souls is really taxing on my eyes."

Suddenly, Wong Yazhu and Tang Hao were floating just a few meters above the massive God Tree bud. Wong Yazhu immediately felt as though she was underwater, the flow of the surrounding energy palpable and intense. 'I didn't notice this before,' she thought, looking down at the bud that now showed hints of purple. 'Is it because I saw the energy being siphoned from the world, and now I feel it?'

Deciding not to waste time, Wong used her soul sight, scanning the trees in his surroundings. Within seconds, she noticed something peculiar within one of the closest trees—the first tree the God Tree connected to and the tree she planted it below six months ago. Turning to face it, she used X-ray vision to cut through the leaves and branches blocking her sight, and then she truly saw it. "The God Tree is killing the trees?"

Tang Hao squinted and then Wong pointed at one tree. "Can you move closer to that tree's stem?" In an instant, they were floating within an expanse of darkness created by the crowns of all 27 trees blocking out the moonlight, floating in front of a tree trunk.

Wong Yazhu removed her X-Ray vision as she didn't need it anymore, staring at the stem and its root with only soul sight. She saw that this tree, though it was the largest of all the trees, was also having its energy slowly siphoned by the God Tree. Unlike the other trees, the God Tree never took their energy; rather, it shared its own energy with them to improve their growth, but this one was being depleted. 

"It's killing this tree but not the others?" She looked around. "Why?"

"Because it probably doesn't need the tree anymore," Tang Hao said, folding his arm, his finger right index tapping his left biceps. "So, this 'God Tree' not only absorbs the elemental power of heaven and earth but also the life force of other creatures?"

Wong Yazhu then remembered, "Oh, right, I had thrown my teacher's body into this darkness." She quickly deactivated her soul sight and used her telescopic vision for a quick scan, noticing her clothes. "There!" She pointed, not knowing if Tang Hao could see what she was pointing at, but he did, as they suddenly appeared to be floating above the cloth. "The tree absorbed her completely." She expected it, but seeing only clothes, not even bones, was still shocking. "Poor thing."

"Hmm..." Tang Hao muttered, and suddenly, Wong Yazhu found himself sitting on his bed. 

"So, he doesn't need me anymore?" Wong mumbled, "Fucker," as she dusted her legs before laying on her bed, finally feeling the warmth she craved, unlike the cold night. 

'So the God Tree has all the elements of heaven and earth, like all chakra natures in the Naruto world, while I only have the five elements, like the five chakra natures.' she thought, staring at the ceiling. 'And if Tang Hao is right, the God Tree is currently 250 years old, and in the Naruto world, every thousand years, a God Tree produces a Chakra Fruit so I wonder what would happen when it turns a thousand years old.'

Wong curled into a fetal position, feeling extremely comfortable due to the heat from the bedsheet. 'And if that's how it absorbs energy, isn't it exposing itself? Won't other soul masters be able to sense that storm of energy above the forest?' 

She sighed once more, saying, "Forget it." She laid straight on her back. 'Tang Hao seemed rather interested in it, so he will probably protect it.' She theorized. "And being protected by a Titled Douluo is probably the safest you can be." She started her open-eye cultivation.

Meanwhile, above the God Tree, Tang Hao floated inches away from the flower bud that was much larger than his entire body. After a few seconds, he touched it, and at that moment, he felt like he was being drained. 'No... I am being drained...' He looked around. 'This spirit beast immediately ceased absorbing the energy from the world and started absorbing mine.'

This realization caused him to frown. At the rate his soul power was being absorbed, it would take years for the 'God Tree' to even absorb a portion of it—that's saying if he didn't regenerate any of his soul power during that time—but the fact that the tree was even able to absorb energy from him, a Titled Douluo, was nothing short of…

Terrifying.

He pulled back his arm, and the storm of energy being siphoned by the surrounding trees continued. "If it gains real sentience..." Tang Hao looked at his palm. 'Should I kill it?' He looked at the tree again. 

'No, let's wait.' He clenched his fist. 'It is able to share its life force with other plants.' His teeth clenched. "I might be able to revive Ah Yin." He smiled, gripping his chest. "Just a bit. Let's watch it for one more year."

The next day swiftly dawned, and since it was Wong Yazhu's day off, she decided to visit the blacksmith shop. "Knock, knock~" Wong Yazhu chimed as she knocked on the door. No response came, so she knocked again, and then the door was pushed open by Tang Hao, who seemed to have just woken up. 

He glanced down at her and simply said, "Go home."

Wong Yazhu quickly replied, "I want to learn blacksmithing from you."

The man paused, then looked at her. "Why?" he asked simply.

"Because Tang San likes blacksmithing, and if I learn it, I will have more in common with him. And yes, mommy and daddy already agreed," she explained, and she thought to herself, 'and so I can also get close to you. Having a Titled Douluo as a friend can't hurt.'

Tang Hao sighed and opened the door wider, allowing her to walk in. "And I can also clean up this mess and cook for you," she added quickly.

"I don't need your help with that," Tang Hao responded as he opened one of the curtains, letting light flood into the forge. "I will ask you the question I asked Little San; tell me, what kind of blacksmith is the best blacksmith?"

Wong Yazhu shrugged, "I dunno."

"You are not ready---" Tang Hao began to dismiss her.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Wong Yazhu quickly interrupted, raising her hands. "I thought you would just tell me the answer." She then cleared her throat. "The best blacksmith is one who combines exceptional skill and expertise in various blacksmithing techniques, deep knowledge of materials, designing abilities, extensive experience, a strong reputation, physical strength and endurance, and access to high-quality tools and equipment."

Tang Hao stared at her in silence, then Wong Yazhu grinned, "What, weren't you expecting that kind of answer? I told you I was intelligent."

Tang Hao nodded, then asked, "Tell me, what should be used to create divine tools?"

"The best material, obviously." Wong Yazhu replied.

Tang Hao shook his head, extending his index finger and wagging it at her face. "Tang San said the same thing," he said, "but if you want to become a master blacksmith, remember my words: someone using top-class materials to make divine tools, that's not the best blacksmith; at most, it is only a synthesizer. The best blacksmith will create divine tools using common materials."

"Isn't the quality of a product inherently linked to the materials used?" Wong Yazhu shook her head. "Using the finest materials ensures the durability, strength, and overall excellence of the final product."

Tang Hao's eyes narrowed slightly, a glimmer of respect mingling with his amusement as he replied, "You're right that high-quality materials can enhance the product's excellence, but true mastery lies in overcoming limitations." He picked up a piece of rusted iron rod. "A blacksmith who can create a divine tool from common materials showcases not only their craftsmanship but also their ingenuity and resourcefulness. They transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, proving their skills far surpass mere reliance on quality materials."

Wong Yazhu frowned. "Yeah, no. Working with common materials may demonstrate resourcefulness, but it can also be a waste of time and effort," she pointed out. "A blacksmith should aim to produce the best possible tool, and using superior materials is the most efficient path to achieve that. It's not just about showing off one's skill but also about creating the best result for the task at hand."

Tang Hao smiled, a hint of pride in Wong Yazhu's persistence. "Efficiency is important, but it's not the sole measure of a blacksmith's worth. When a blacksmith relies solely on superior materials, they become dependent on them, limiting their creativity and problem-solving abilities." He easily bent the rusted iron rod, causing it to break, sending iron shards and fragments flying out. "The best blacksmith transcends these dependencies, crafting wonders from whatever is at hand, thus proving their unparalleled mastery and adaptability in any situation."

Wong Yazhu nodded, adding, "But you can't just tell me the best blacksmith can create a Divine Tool from trash. That's impossible." She pointed at the window. "If the soil is not fertile, can you grow crops?" she pointed at the forge. "If there is no fuel source, can you create fire?" She pointed at the brick wall. "If there is no foundation, can you build a house?" She then pointed at the rod, "So, how can you create something divine without having the best materials?"

Tang Hao became serious. "Let me ask you this, then," he began. "If a chef has only simple ingredients, can they not still create a dish that delights the senses? Does a painter need the finest paints to create a masterpiece that captures the soul? Is the strength of a warrior solely determined by the quality of their weapon or by their skill and heart?"

"I believe..." Wong Yazhu started and then said, "If I argue, will you say that I don't have the mentality of a blacksmith and ask me to lea---"

"I will." Tang Hao replied before she could even finish.

"Then, I understand you." Wong Yazhu bowed. "Student greats master."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I tried referring to the protagonist as she during the entire chapter. Might have made mistakes and refer to the mc as a 'he' a few times, but whatever. Is it it better?