Chapter 1: Should I give up my only golden finger for crossing over?

In order to deal with this group of tree spirits, he has also tried other methods, having interacted with them for a full two years

He swung his axe with all his might, leaving several axe marks on the treant that had disrupted his plans. Then he turned and fled towards the edge of the forest. As for this intruder, the treant had no intention of letting him go; even though it was not as fast as he was, it still pursued him closely, occasionally sending other treants to block his path and hinder him.

Suddenly, the light around him distorted, and the scenery changed, materializing in a small single apartment of about 4 to 5 tatami mats— the wallpaper was peeling, the tatami was damaged in several places, and there was a small square table in the center, along with a set of old desk and chairs; nothing else remained, it was exceedingly shabby

At that moment, he became furious, feeling that these tree spirits were being shameless. He brought gasoline with the intention of setting the forest ablaze, and indeed, he managed to ignite the forest. However, the number of tree spirits was overwhelming; they rushed in one after another, bringing soil to extinguish the fire, desperately beating at the flames. In the end, the results were not as significant as he had imagined— the tree species were peculiar and not easily flammable. The few barrels of gasoline he poured were merely kindling, which quickly burned away. It was simply a mountain fire, and the tree spirits were very experienced in dealing with it. They fought desperately, but ultimately, the outcome was not as substantial as anticipated— the tree species were peculiar and not easily flammable. The few barrels of gasoline he poured were merely kindling, which quickly burned away. It was simply a mountain fire, and the tree spirits were very experienced in dealing with it.

In the end, he truly had no other options left, so he began rigorous training, hoping to forcibly resist the extraordinary beings with his mortal body. He attempted to sneak through or force his way through the forest, but the results were not very promising. There were simply too many tree spirits in the forest, leaving no gaps to exploit. Each time, just as before, as soon as he ventured slightly deeper into the forest, he would inevitably be discovered. Moreover, if he did not run fast enough, he would certainly be killed within.

Initially, he intended to bribe by bringing natural organic fertilizer (which he had produced himself), purchased floral cultivation organic fertilizer, and industrial synthetic fertilizer to express goodwill, hoping that these tree spirits would be satisfied and clear the way for him to pass through the forest safely. However, these tree spirits did not speak and showed no intention of communicating with him; upon seeing him, they attacked, nearly smearing the natural organic fertilizer on his face.

But ... ...

Then, it unhesitatingly raised two arms twisted from vines and suddenly struck towards the shadow of the tree roots

Moments later, a faint rustling sound emerged, and a tree spirit, barely taking on a human form, covered in old tree bark and standing nearly three meters tall, emerged from behind a large tree

I want to cross this forest to see what lies beyond it

Should one give up their only golden finger for traversing through time and space

He pressed his chest, took a few quick breaths to alleviate the physical discomfort caused by the spatial shift, and then directly sat down cross-legged on the tatami mat

He truly, truly wants to leave here, to see what lies beyond the forest, to attempt to seek immortals and explore the Dao

The tree spirit moved clumsily and slowly, while Wu Yuanqiu, wielding a sharp axe and well-acquainted with its habits, quickly gained the upper hand. However, before he could revel in his success, two more vine-like arms suddenly lashed out, the sound of the wind sharp and piercing, as a new tree spirit joined the fray

This is the place where he currently resides, located in a low-cost apartment building in the Shimokita District of Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan. It is dark and damp, cool in winter and warm in summer, with a monthly rent of 30,000 yen. Utilities are paid separately, there are no property management fees, and no administrator. The small restroom is so cramped that turning around is difficult, and there is no kitchen or bathroom; for bathing, one must go to the public bathhouse on the street.

Only those who are particularly financially strained would choose to live here, which is only slightly better than an internet café or a capsule hotel. The environment cannot be described as good, but Wu Yuanqiu does not mind. Compared to the inability to cultivate immortality or acquire extraordinary powers, the poor living conditions are hardly worth mentioning

Unfortunately, it is not possible to go out

He moved cautiously, sometimes stopping, as he ventured deep into the forest. Suddenly, he paused to listen for a moment, quickly holding his breath and crouching down beneath the roots of a large tree, using the shadows of the trees to conceal his figure

Subsequently, Wu Yuanqiuli restored its color and struck it with an axe once more

I want to go out

It has been two years, during which a considerable amount of time has been spent and a great deal of energy has been wasted. Despite exhausting efforts to strengthen my body, I have reached a certain limit, yet I still cannot detach myself from that mountain. The investment seems utterly worthless; should I then consider giving up?

He then thought of promoting peace through force, shouting before setting fire, indicating that as long as they agreed to let him pass through the forest, he would no longer harass them. He persisted for a long time, hoping to make the tree spirits yield, but unfortunately, it was still of no use. When he went to burn, the tree spirits came to confront him, completely unafraid of the trouble.

In the silent forest, countless towering trees rise into the sky, their broad canopies creating a layered effect that nearly obscures the sun, allowing only a few scattered rays of sunlight to filter through. The ground is covered with layers of decaying leaves, the accumulation of which is unknown, and stepping on them feels like walking on a soft carpet, both plush and resilient

Wu Yuanqiu gripped the axe in his hand more tightly, walking with greater caution and care. Even the rustling sound of the wind brushing through the treetops would cause him to suddenly crouch down.

Wuyuan Qiu held his breath completely, trying his best to curl his body, hoping that this tree spirit was merely passing by. However, fate did not favor him, as the tree spirit approached the vicinity of his hiding place, seemingly sensing something, and slowly lowered its head

He did not dare to stay near the forest and continued to run wildly. Only after passing through a stretch of gravel did he dare to stop at the mouth of a valley by a rocky mountain. The tree spirit did not venture far from the forest, standing at the edge and "watching" him, with countless vine-like arms waving in the air, densely packed like some indescribable monster, enough to give an ordinary person nightmares for three days with just a glance.

In the blink of an eye, a person and a tree engaged in a fierce battle without any communication, sacrificing themselves without hesitation. The tree spirit did not dodge or evade the axe, instead using its two arms to strike wildly, wishing it could directly turn the invader into a shower of flesh. Meanwhile, Wu Yuanqiu moved nimbly, circling around the tree spirit and desperately hacking at its waist.

One cannot possibly spend a lifetime consumed by this matter

He dared not continue fighting; the stealth operation had already failed. If he did not escape soon, once the tree spirit completed the encirclement, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance he would be turned into minced meat on the spot

Fuck

The tree spirits slowly retreated into the forest, disappearing behind the trees, gradually vanishing from sight. The forest returned to its lifeless appearance, shrouded in a faint gray mist and humidity, resembling a silent giant beast quietly lying there, forming an insurmountable chasm.

In the foggy wilderness, Qiu faced two opponents alone, and the pressure increased dramatically. The range in which he could maneuver quickly shrank, while the trees in the forest swayed incessantly. In the dim corners, a rustling sound could be heard, and it was uncertain how many tree spirits were hastily approaching to attack him.

Wuyuan Qiu rubbed the injured area on his left arm, watching the tree spirits vent their "anger" there, his expression quite grim

I want to see if I can cultivate immortality and obtain extraordinary powers

In the foggy wilderness of autumn, Wu Yuanqiu held a logging axe, bending his body as he cautiously advanced, feeling his way forward with each step, one deep and one shallow, relying on the faint rays of sunlight, his expression extremely vigilant

They even understand the importance of clearing firebreaks to prevent the spread of fire

He is utterly helpless against this group of tree spirits. To speak of just one, it is hardly a cause for concern; he is now capable of defeating it and could even wear it down. However, this group of tree spirits does not adhere to the rules of combat and refuses to engage in one-on-one duels. Instead, they always attack as a family, with countless vines striking wildly, creating a net that is impossible for humans to withstand. There is no way to evade them; apart from fleeing in panic, there are no other options.

Wu Yuanqiu quietly gazed at the forest, her expression gradually shifting from unpleasant to dejected

... ...

Even after having seen it many times, he still found this forest particularly eerie, devoid of any beasts, birds, or even insects. Only the black trees of unknown species stood silently, as if all the essence of this land had been drained by these strange trees, leaving even the air permeated with a chilling, bone-deep coldness

Moreover, the deeper one goes, the more intense this chill becomes

The foggy wilderness could no longer conceal the autumn, cursing like a lazy donkey rolling about. Swiftly evading this fierce blow, he then raised the long-handled axe in his hand and struck fiercely at the waist of the tree spirit, causing splinters to fly and sap to splatter everywhere

At last, he threw away his axe and crawled out of the forest, finally seeing the light of day again

The tree spirit was enraged, its branches and leaves trembling wildly. It turned and swung its arm in a swift horizontal sweep towards him once more, but he still managed to evade it, causing a thick layer of decayed leaves on the ground to fly up into the air.

These damn bastards

In summary, he has tried every possible means and attempted countless times, yet he has been stuck here for two years, unable to pass through this strange forest, forced to remain trapped in this stone mountain— the lifeless forest completely surrounds the mountain, and he has tried every direction, all of which are infested with those damned tree spirits