"If I follow you, you might become his enemy."

  "Who are you talking about? And why would I-"

  "Zhuren, someone is coming." Xing'er interrupts, drawing my attention from the tree to her and the rift in the sky that is starting to close.

  It is because of this void that the mortals are being attracted here. If I could use this body's full qi, I might have been able to mend the rift. But it is impossible in my current state.

  I will need some time to regain balance and heal.

  "I will take care of them," the tree says without being asked to. Almost immediately, an illusion array appears between us and the direction the mortals are coming from. It expands to reach the sky, hiding the rift along with the void energy flowing into this world.

  When the mortals reach the barrier, they grow confused. Their expressions tighten as they question each other whether whatever they had felt before coming here was real.

  "This is the place. I am sure of it," one says as he looks down at the spirit compass in his hand. "It can't be wrong."

  "Then where is the source of the energy?" another asks out of frustration as she glares at the first mortal.

  "Maybe someone else got here first and took it away."

  "Impossible! How can they not leave s trace of it?" a fourth one speaks.

  "Why don't we go back and report to the sect leader first. She will come here and check it herself."

  After a few minutes of flying around the barrier, the group leaves.

  The qi that has been gathering in my hand in case of an attack is reabsorbed back into my meridians just as the gruesome paint begins to burn my Dantian.

  I cannot hold it in anymore. I need to find somewhere I can heal or take string elixirs.

  Xing'er might have what I need. The only problem is that I never made any progress in alchemy, thus I am not sure which elixir is suitable for my internal injuries.

  "Xing'er," I call with some difficulty.

  She flies below me, setting me on her back.

  "Where shall I take you?"

  "Anywhere is fine as long as it is away from-"

  "Stay here," the tree suddenly speaks up. "You won't find any good place anywhere close. And if you travel with your little dragon, you will gain too much attention."

  After its words, a beam of white light covers its whole body. When it dies out, a black tree is left in its place.

  Its trunk is narrower, its branches(which are as black as the trunk) are spread out like a web, and its leaves now glow white, emitting such radiance that even I cannot look away.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  I had once heard about such a tree. The obsidian tree. Reading and hearing about it and seeing it for myself makes such a big difference. It feels as if I'm looking at a fairy from the higher worlds as they described them in the books.

  And if the records were correct, this tree is connected to a powerful energy source which should be beneath it.

  It also means that its mirror body is under it where the energy source is.

  "How has nobody noticed you for so long?" I hear myself speaking my thoughts.

  "Because I have a special technique to conceal anything."

  More techniques?

  But what I am most curious about is its cultivation level. "Have you ascended into godhood? Your energy isn't of an immortal."

  "If I undergo the god tribulation, it might alert the one who planted me here. I wanted to stay in this world a little longer."

  My brows lift. "You're quite honest. Aren't you afraid that I might be here to kill you?"

  "Even though you're a god, I can feel that your body is in chaos. You do not have good control over your own Dantian. Your internal injuries only make you even more vulnerable and yet you can still unleash such power to save your dragon. I am moved by your heart."

  These words leave me speechless. No one has ever said out loud about the things I did to protect those whom I cared for. No one has ever praised me.

  All this time, I just did things for others without expecting anything in return. But did I ever stop to thank myself? To appreciate myself? To look after myself?

  I always thought that I existed for the same of my family, my friends, my clan, my race.

  Was I wrong?

  Maybe I should have taken the time to think a little about myself. Sacrificing myself for them was honorable and I am glad that it was not for nothing. But did I have any meaning in life other than living for everyone else?

  My Dantian begins to boil the more I think about my last life, yet there is no pain.

  I am pulled into the void within this body where its spiritual sea should be. When my soul entered this body, this void was completely dark. But right now, I can see a flicker of light in the distance. It looks like a small crack in a door and its frame.

  From it, I sense the divine energy that has been inaccessible to me since I became one with the body.

  Even though I am outwardly a god, my soul wasn't cultivated enough to become a god before I died, thus I cannot be able to access the body's divine energy which is stored in its spiritual sea.

  But now I can feel it. It is calming. Healing. Soothing.

  I want to bathe in it for years just to savor this feeling.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Upon waking, I find myself resting against Xing'er while she is curled around me. Her energy is sleeping inside of me, calming me even further.

  I close my eyes for a moment, smiling at no one.

  This feeling of being taken care of instead of the reverse is new to me. But it doesn't feel bad. There is warmth in knowing you have someone to depend on. But would she remain if she knew that I am not her master?

  A soft wind comes rustling my hair, and caressing me to open my eyes.

  It is still daytime. No, this is not the sun. This brightness is coming from above yet there is a cave ceiling around it.

  It's the obsidian tree. I am now looking at its mirror body.

  The leaves are shining so bright that they have lit up every part of the cave we are now in. Other than its glorious self, embedded within the walls of this cave are some of the rarest spiritual stones I have ever seen. They fill this cave with intense energy that feels refreshing and undiluted.

  Their colors range from gold to purple, with some multicolored among them.

  How can such a place exist?

  If those sects knew of it, I am certain they would have torn each other apart just to claim it.

  If I had such a good energy source for my sect, it would make the cultivation of my disciples easier.

  "You're awake," the voice of a younger man says from my left.

  I turn my eyes, fixing them on the small beads of white light coming together. They form the figure of a man who is about the same height as my new body.

  My real body is slightly shorter than my current one, but both are good-looking enough to attract the attention of females and the envy of males.

  "Is this your mirror body?" I ask getting up.

  Xing'er doesn't wake. She must be exhausted after traveling through the void for weeks and then absorbing the lightning attack for me.

  The frame made of nothing but light lifts its hand as if observing it. "This is new. My phantom body has never taken any humanoid shape. I wonder why."

  "Doesn't this mean that you are improving?"

  It coughs, clearing its throat. "Anyway, I am here to ask you for something?"

  I start walking around the cave. "Go ahead."

  "I...I...I want to transform. But...I need the energy of a suitable being who will lend me their power willingly."

  My feet stop moving as curiosity quickly fills my mind. I have never heard of such a thing. Spiritual plants gaining a second form is not new. They do it when they advance to higher stages or if they're lucky and somehow strain divine blessings from a god before they become powerful.