The two little creatures imdiately raised their guard and stared at him closely,
"We don’t have any Wood Spirit Orb here, and we’ve never heard of it. Why are you looking for it? Are you planning to take it away?"
The statent was full of loopholes, revealing that they were not uninford, but Hou Niao didn’t want to expose them.
"I’m not looking for it to take it away, but because I want to stay here and learn sothing from it, so things that we humans haven’t grasped, about nature, about life."
"Really?" The two little creatures were skeptical, they could sense the sincerity of this human, but the matter was so significant that they couldn’t easily trust their feelings, so they exchanged glances and decided to follow this guy.
"Since that’s the case, we’re free anyway, so shall we accompany you to find it?"
Hou Niao welcod them, fully aware of what these straightforward creatures were thinking. This was what he intended to do from the start; without traces of the Wood Spirit Orb, he’d have to rely on the indigenous Wood Elves of the Beimu Forest.
The three of them tead up, but the two Wood Elves didn’t understand how dangerous it was to accompany a worldly wise human; it was almost as if they were destined to board a dood ship with humans.
In just ten days, the three of them were like brothers, with the two little creatures adorned in various flashy trinkets from the Mortal World, a gesture of friendship that was nothing significant.
"I wonder if you two dummies actually know the way? Haven’t we been here before?" Hou Niao naturally complained.
The two little creatures nonchalantly shrugged it off, "We told you we didn’t know either, so we’re just guessing blindly. We never cared about this before..."
The little Mushroom curiously looked at him, "Brother Hou, you don’t seem to mind either?"
Hou Niao smiled and said, "Why should I mind? In life, eight or nine out of ten things don’t go as planned, how can everything be perfect? To gain is my fortune, to lose is my fate. Even if I find nothing this ti, at least I got to know you two friends. Visit the Southwest soti, and I’ll show you the Snow Mountain scenic views."
Little Tail didn’t understand either, "Aren’t humans known for never giving up until they achieve their goal? Otherwise, they can’t succeed in cultivation."
Hou Niao waved his hand, "That’s just so people; I prefer to go with the flow. If I can’t find it, maybe it’s just not my chance."
Little Mushroom’s eyes twinkled, "If Brother Hou can’t find it, does that an you’ll leave?"
Hou Niao pondered, "Not in the short term. I’m probably going to wander here for a few years, take in the scenery, and learn to collect dewdrops like you do, sothing I can’t drink after leaving.
Oh well, let’s stop searching. Show the fun places in Beimu Forest."
His carefree nature surprised the two little creatures, and through these days of interaction, they had co to know this human quite well; his every little habit painted a vivid picture of him.
For the Wood Elves, it was enough to judge the character of this human.
The two little creatures exchanged a glance, and Little Mushroom spoke up, "Brother Hou, we actually don’t know if the Wood Spirit Orb is in Beimu Forest, or if it is, where it is. But we do know who should know about it. Should we take you to find him? But I’m not sure if he will accept your request."
Hou Niao laughed heartily, showing his liking without concealnt, grabbed the two little creatures, and gave each of them a few pats on their butts,
"Daring to hide things from your Brother Hou? Lead the way quickly, and tell about this remarkable elder. What hobbies does he have? So I know how to flatter him!"
Giggling, Little Mushroom proudly straightened his back, "He’s an elder for sure, as old as can be, but you can’t flatter him because we don’t even know what he likes or dislikes..."
Led by the two little creatures, Hou Niao headed towards the depths of the forest. From their stories, he learned that this elder Wood Spirit was basically a mystical Beech tree—its vast annual rings were so long that none of the Wood Elves in Beimu Forest knew its history.
All the Wood Elves in Beimu Forest referred to it as Grandpa Beech, highly respected. Although the Muling World has no hierarchy of rank and status, Grandpa Beech’s words still carried weight, and everyone was willing to listen to it.
If there was any secret in Beimu Forest, Grandpa Beech would be the first to know.
"Is it far?" Hou Niao wondered as they began their journey. In his mind, finding a specific tree in a forest was like finding a particular drop of water in the ocean.
Little Mushroom, however, wasn’t concerned, "Of course not, we’ll find it soon. Every Beech tree in Beimu Forest is a part of Grandpa Beech; we just need to find one."
Hou Niao’s mind was piqued, "So does that an every Wood Spirit in Beimu Forest is unique? There’s only one Grandpa Beech, and besides him, no other Beech can beco enlightened? Sa with Little Mushroom and Little Tail; there isn’t another enlightened Little Mushroom and Little Tail in the forest besides you two?"
The two little creatures puffed out their chests with pride, "Of course, we are one of a kind."
In fact, this ant that they were a kind of immortal existence in Beimu Forest, unless all the Beeches were cut down, and all the Mushrooms were picked, which was practically impossible.
Because of this rule, the number of Wood Spirits and Elves in Beimu Forest was limited. The variety of plants in Beimu Forest determined the number of these beings. In a forest, it’s possible to imagine thousands or even tens of thousands of plant species.
In less than a mont, they found a Beech grove and chose the thickest and tallest one, also the one with the longest rings of age.
Little Mushroom and Little Tail pressed their bodies against the rough bark of the Beech tree, speaking in an ancient Wood Spirit language that humans couldn’t understand. After a long ti, a hoarse voice like gravel on a pan bottom rose up,
"Human, are you here to claim the Wood Spirit Orb?"
Hou Niao replied respectfully, "Grandpa, not to claim, but to comprehend; Spiritual Pearls are granted by heaven and should not belong to any individual or race. By fate, I have encountered three of the Five Elents Spiritual Pearls and dream of glimpsing the full picture to complete my Five Elents cultivation.
I’ve heard that the Wood Spirit Orb might appear in Beimu Forest, so I’ve traveled a great distance, seeking only enlightennt, not possession, a vow as clear as day and night."
Grandpa Beech was silent for a long ti before speaking again, "I can sense the Five Elents Power within you, but it is not as you claim, three elents, but four, with Wood Elent already well established. How do you explain this?"
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