"And so, I have an opportunity for you. Well, it's both an opportunity for you and a mission that you can do for me as thanks for saving your life back then."
"Eh? An opportunity?"
Although it usually wouldn't be so easy to pique Damien's interest, this was an offer from a genuine 4th class Beast King. There was no way it'd be simple.
"That's right. An opportunity."
"Please speak, Senior Bai."
"Hmm, this isn't something I'd like to talk about in such a distant manner. Hold your girl close and don't resist the mana of your medallion.
Damien raised his brow in curiosity, but still followed instructions. He grabbed Ruyue's waist and allowed the mana, which he soon discovered was spatial mana, to envelop him.
In the next instant, the two were within a completely new space. It was an unadorned cave that didn't stand out too much, but the mana density was off the charts.
'A place like this actually exists?!'
Ruyue was stunned by the sight. Even she, who came from such a major power herself, and was also the disciple of the Great Elder of the 2nd greatest sect in the entire world for many years, had never seen such a rich mana environment.
'This place can be considered as a cultivator's heaven!'
Clap! Clap!
Two resounding claps snapped the duo out of their daze, their attention focusing on the white-haired man sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat in the middle of the cave.
"Come sit, then we can talk about the good stuff."
The duo quickly followed his instructions, not daring to take too long. Even Damien reined in his ego in front of this being who would have no qualms with killing them if he was offended. This wasn't a situation like Tian Yang. Damien could be willful around the latter because of their master-disciple relationship, as well as the fact that he knew the latter's personality.
But with the White Dragon King, it was different. Regardless of how Damien respected the former's mentality and ways, he didn't have a good grasp on his personality. It wasn't the time to be rash.
When the two had made themselves comfortable, the White Dragon King finally began to speak.
"Have you two ever heard the legend of the Primordial Undying Tree?"
"Primordial Undying Tree?" The two were instantly captivated.
"That's right. The Primordial Undying Tree is a legendary tree that can be classified as a Heavenly Treasure. Its roots can be used to craft pills that can revive one like a Phoenix from near death, its sap can extend one's lifespan by hundreds of years, and its leaves have a defense that can even block the attack of a Beast King."
Damien and Ruyue's eyes widened. A treasure like this would cause upheaval if it was introduced into the outside world. Its effects were simply too inconceivable.
"But that's not all," the White Dragon King continued. "The most crucial part of the Primordial Undying Tree is its fruits. Every 100 years, it bears 10 red fruits, every 1000, it bears 5 green fruits, and every 10,000, it bears a single purple fruit."
"Each of these fruits could be considered a peak treasure, but they obviously don't have the same level of effect. The red fruits will strengthen the body once and green fruits are said to strengthen the body 10 times. As for the level of strengthening, that varies depending on the person.
"The purple fruit, however, is vastly greater than the other two. The purple fruit is said to transform the body! The body will be reconstructed from the root, granting intense strengthening as well as purification of all impurities! This kind of fruit is a heaven-sent gift for all!"
Damien let out an audible gasp. In fact, he almost shot up in shock. This kind of treasure…wasn't it exactly what he needed? Forget about all the other effects, purification of all impurities, wouldn't that rid his body of the unnecessary bloodlines he had been fretting over just recently?
But, why would the White Dragon King tell them about this?
As if reading their thoughts, the White Dragon King smiled wryly.
"Truth be told, no matter how amazing these treasures are, the fruits of the Primordial Undying Tree have no effect on Beast Kings. Only those below this level can reap the rewards."
He shook his head in disappointment as he spoke. "There is no easy path on the road to strength. For us, who have reached the pinnacle beneath Divinity, the only treasures that can ease our path are those that appear rarely even within the wider universe."
The way the White Dragon King spoke was as if he had personally experienced such things before. There was a trace of reminiscence and nostalgia in his gaze, but it quickly vanished.
"The reason I'm telling you this is because the Primordial Undying Tree has once again revealed itself after 10,000 years! 10 red fruits! 5 green fruits! And a single purple fruit! Each and every one of them will be up for grabs.
"As for the location, the Primordial Undying Tree is actually located within the World Tree that adorns the center of our beautiful mountain range."
The White Dragon King's gaze sharpened. "I want the two of you to participate in the upcoming event to obtain the fruits of the Primordial Undying Tree."
The direction of the conversation had pretty obviously been heading in that direction, but Damien was shocked nonetheless. This offer was extremely attractive, to the point where he was almost salivating at the thought. The only thing that concerned him was…
'Why is he asking me?'
In the first place, the White Dragon King and Damien could be said to have no relationship whatsoever. From the very start, the White Dragon King made it clear that he held no interest in Damien.
He had only done what he did because Damien had dragon bloodline. Due to the nature of the grotto he was in charge of, saving Damien was only a matter of course.
Sure, Damien was abnormally talented, enough to even reach Dragon level if he stayed long enough, but that didn't matter.
Because the White Dragon King knew.
Damien was a human, and so was Ruyue. Even if Damien was, at this point, half beast, he was originally human and his aura remained dominated by his human side.
Were there any natural-born humans in the 3000 Beast Mountain Range? Sure, but the number would only be in the tens at most. The number of humans that had successfully survived in this hellish environment wasn't high, after all.
But being a Beast King, how could the White Dragon King not be able to differentiate? He knew Damien and Ruyue's origins from the moment he laid eyes on them, he just wasn't bothered to care.
But at a time like this, such origins actually worked in his favor.
The White Dragon King let out a forlorn sigh. "I have a son. A single son that was born after countless years of effort. After my son was born, my wife perished from the strain of childbirth."
The duo was startled. The gloomy atmosphere that suddenly covered the White Dragon King came from nowhere.
"At that time, I was simply known as Bai Longxuan. I was a young man on a perilous and riveting journey through the myriad worlds. Through some circumstances, I ended up on this Cloud Plane and fell in love with my late wife.
"However, there is a large gap in my memory. By some unknown means, I ended up in this 3000 Beast Mountain Range with no way to leave. I've tried for thousands of years to do so, but to no avail.
"But you are different. You aren't like me. You were chosen by this place and allowed to enter; which means at some point, you'll be allowed to leave. Be it one year or a thousand, it doesn't change the fact that you will be able to leave."
"…Chosen?"
The White Dragon King ignored the doubt-filled question and continued speaking.
"I want you to acquire a green fruit from the Primordial Undying Tree, as well as some of its sap. When you leave, I want you to deliver it to my son. Although I do not know how much time passed before I arrived in this mountain range, I'm sure my son will still be on this planet."
Taking out a pristine white pendant, the White Dragon King sighed once more. "I can sense his presence through this pendant, but I can't reach him! I can't! No matter how I try, no matter how close he is, I can't see his face!"
There was evident agony in his voice. Damien and Ruyue couldn't help but sympathize. Thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of years of waiting and watching the pendant, hoping his son was alive, hoping he'd get to see him again, but with no results or hope. It sounded like torture.
"If you grasp this opportunity, I want you to swear a Heavenly Oath! An oath that you will find my son and deliver the fruit and sap to him, along with a spatial ring filled with items I have prepared. If you take them selfishly for yourself, or go against your word, may the Heavens reclaim your strength!"
"A Heavenly Oath?" This was the first time Damien heard of such a concept. The system never intervened and always stayed in the background, silently recording progress. Was it possible for it to have such a mechanism?
"That's right. A Heavenly Oath. If you refuse it, you can forget about everything we talked about. I won't allow you to grasp the opportunity, no matter how hard you try."
Damien furrowed his brows. There was a guarantee that the White Dragon King's son was both alive and on the Cloud Plane, so it shouldn't be a problem to deliver him the goods. And the only people Damien had enmity with was the Eclipsing Shadow Sect.
But this wasn't a decision he could make by himself. There was no way the Primordial Undying Tree would just open its leaves and allow its fruit to be plucked.
A tree like this that has lived for countless millennia would have the sentience to set trials and conditions for earning its fruit.
This excursion would most likely be leagues more dangerous than any secret realm. It'd be a place where they'd be competing with hundreds or thousands of others for the sake of a mere 16 fruits. The possibility of death was extremely high.
Damien looked at Ruyue, his intent clear. If he was going to agree, he'd only do it with her consent.
Ruyue had been listening to the whole conversation as well. Unlike the White Dragon Grotto, this experience would benefit her training as well. Walking the line between life and death for the sake of bountiful reward…
Ruyue couldn't help but feel the cold blood in her body begin to boil. Regardless of anything, she was a cultivator. She had been fostered and raised in stable environments her whole life, but she was still a cultivator.
This kind of life and death experience, this kind of rich reward, this kind of adventure, deep within her core, she craved it.
Perhaps she would be afraid if she was doing it alone, perhaps if she was still the Xue Ruyue from the months before Damien showed up, she would have preferred her sheltered lifestyle and refused. But she wasn't that same little girl anymore.
With the help of a certain man, she had shed her precious insecurity and immaturity. The trip they had taken so far had helped her immensely.
She was no longer afraid of the outside world, afraid of her feelings, and afraid of death. Besides, even if she truly were to die, she'd die with the one she…
Shaking off useless thoughts, a cold fire bloomed within her eyes. Looking straight into Damien's eyes, she nodded her head firmly.
With a bright smile, Damien finally spoke up. "Good! Senior White Dragon, we shall take you up on this opportunity."
