Hearing the words, Mu Zhong exhaled softly and lowered the hand he had been pressing against his lips.
On the projection screen, though the image remained blurry, it was clear that Brother Hammer had moved the moment Wei Huan's order was given. Hammer manually released the final seal covering the World Tree and placed its roots directly atop the Heart of Life. Like a sentient creature, the tree instantly sprouted roots that coiled around the Heart, while branches and buds erupted in a rapid growth spurt.
"Return!" Wei Huan shouted.
The Kobold puppy on Brother Hammer's shoulder opened its mouth and swallowed him whole. A second later, Hammer was spat out by another Kobold inside the driver's cabin—right behind Wei Huan—along with a splash of salty seawater. However, Hammer's presence was already naturally low, and besides, no one dared to look away from the spectacle unfolding outside.
With the seal broken, the World Tree began to "drink" seawater with a terrifying thirst, growing roots and branches as if it were being inflated. It rapidly outgrew the channel; its roots surged into the territory of the Plant Remnants. These remains of an ancient vegetation seemed to sense the tree's nature; despite being plants, they exhibited visible terror. The roots that had once ferociously hunted Wei Huan now scrambled to retreat, desperately trying to avoid the World Tree's touch.
Unfortunately, they were too densely packed. There was nowhere to hide, and they could not outrun the World Tree's expanding root system. Soon, the massive stems of the Remnants were snared and entangled, becoming nutrients for the newcomer. Centered on the World Tree, the Plant Remnants withered away in massive swaths, like a prairie turning yellow in autumn.
From the vehicle, they watched as the darkness below dissipated, and the oppressive atmosphere vanished. Then, the canopy of the World Tree emerged from the channel. Its emerald leaves, shaped somewhat like maple leaves, rustled as if waving to the humans watching its birth. Faint luminescence surrounded it as natural energy began to radiate outward.
Initially, the tree grew at a rate of thousands of meters per minute, soon soaring past the vehicle toward the surface. As it grew, the seawater was purified; even without the Grade 8 headlights, the view became clear and bright. A pure wave of natural energy washed over the challengers, causing many to feel the bottlenecks in their cultivation loosen.
Wei Huan ordered " Dot Mom" to back away. Though he knew the World Tree wouldn't attack humans, he didn't want to risk being touched by roots that had just consumed an entire ecosystem. Within moments, the trunk exceeded a thousand meters in diameter and reached tens of thousands of meters in height.
But this was only the beginning. A divine plant capable of outgrowing an entire world would not stop here.
"So this is the World Tree?"
"It's massive!"
"It'll get even bigger."
"Will we live on this tree in the future?"
"Exactly. A single leaf could house a residential district; the trunk is like an island. This is our World Tree."
---
Klitov witnessed this from his high vantage point, his heart full of hope. For the first time, he felt that mankind finally had a true foothold in this drifting world.
Captain Fang William spoke over the comms: "I know I sound repetitive, but thank you."
Wei Huan smiled. "The world says I brought the tree back, but we both know you guarded it from the start."
Fang shook his head. "I only knew the blunt way. Without you breaking the stalemate, I could have guarded it for a thousand years without passing the trial. I never would have thought to plant it in a Grade 6 world to change our fate."
Wei Huan didn't deny it. Planting it here was a flash of inspiration, but the achievement belonged to everyone—to Daxia for its unwavering support and to Fang for the risk he took.
After concluding the final tasks, Wei Huan left the cabin to focus on his own strength. The World Tree would take time to reach its full size. In the meantime, the sea level was already dropping as the tree consumed the water and the Remnants for nutrients.
Returning to the Class Temple, Wei Huan turned his gaze toward the neighboring Great Tomb. One Dark Beast King wasn't enough; for a creature of that power, more was always better. Ten days had passed since the planting. Wei Huan's main undead forces had reached Grade 6, including 2,000 Twin-Headed Hidden Demons, along with various Eye Lords, Shura Horses, and Flying Monkeys. Dot Mom's colony had also grown significantly.
With 250,000 undead summoned, Wei Huan sat upon a Bone Throne formed by the bodies of Facehuggers on Mother's back. He set out. He had a premonition: there would be a war.
As a Sequence 6 Plague Spreader, "spreading the plague" didn't mean biological viruses for humans—it meant invasion and the conquest of other tombs. When he reached Sequence 6, the invisible barriers between the Great Tombs had dissolved.
The army crossed into the misty void between tombs. There was no ground here, only fog. Wei Huan used the flying undead and Facehuggers converted into transports to ferry his ground troops.
The neighboring tomb resisted. Ghost Crows clashed in the sky, but Wei Huan's Grade 6 scouts easily overwhelmed the un-upgraded locals.
"Then we fight!" Wei Huan thought. He didn't care about the fodder; he only wanted the Dark Beast Kings.
The 2,000 Twin-Headed Hidden Demons acted like living bombs, shredding the unorganized defenders. Within an hour, Wei Huan landed. He systematically began recruiting the fallen, specifically targeting Burrow Beasts and Facehuggers to feed Dot Mom.
When he recruited a particular Burrow Beast, he felt its soul was more vibrant. It was the Burrow Beast Queen of this tomb. Without hesitation, he ordered it to let Dot Mom consume it. While a second legion would be nice, prioritizing Dot Mom's growth toward becoming a "Pseudo-God Level Hero" was far more valuable.
The conquest of the outer tomb was easier than expected. Within an hour, every undead on the surface had been killed and resurrected under his command.
---
Back on the vehicle, Mu Zhong reviewed the reports. The sea level had dropped by three kilometers. The canopy would break the surface by tomorrow.
"Can we stay on the tree once it leaves the water?" an investigator asked.
"Not yet," Mu Zhong replied. "We need to see its limits. However, temporary stops are permitted."
The atmosphere in the meeting room was bright. Everyone longed for the open sky. Mu Zhong then praised the combat teams—led by Xu Qingqiang and Captain Xue—for successfully clearing Golden Treasure Chests in the Grade 6 world while Wei Huan was away.
"Klitov's command during the encirclement was excellent," Captain Xue admitted, despite his usual arrogance.
Klitov smiled. "I am honored our hero-warriors were willing to listen. Our vehicle's strength is absolute."
As the meeting wound down, Xu Qingqiang brought up a sensitive topic. "Xia Yu wants to know... how is Alfonso's vetting going?"
Xia Yu's vehicle had been staying near Alfonso to ensure the "Mage Tower" training ground stayed within their reach. They didn't want to lose such a precious resource to the "Kangaroo Country". They were waiting for Alfonso to pass her background check so she could board the main vehicle.
Unfortunately, Mu Zhong's expression shifted. "Alfonso failed her fourth screening."