Because Zhang Ze felt embarrassed after making strange remarks, he didn't resist; besides, with his invincible body, a kick wouldn't hurt.

And honestly, Lao Di actually shows gender characteristics if you look closely.

If this were the Tokyo storyline, that black-skinned athlete, always destined to lose, she would undoubtedly fit the role.

The reason Zhang Ze didn't notice was partly due to his preconceived notions and her misleading name, and also thanks to her chest of equal grandeur as Lily's.

"When you've got time, introduce Lao Di to Lily; they should have a lot to talk about."

With these trivial thoughts, Zhang Ze glanced at the tightly closed door behind him and continued walking deeper in.

Behind the door was a single path, and the scenery transformed from an enchanting golden forest to a confined wooden corridor.

Ancient wood patterns formed designs, imbued with some kind of power, gently stirring the Spiritual Qi within Zhang Ze, causing it to circulate automatically.

This was the interior of the Holy Tree's roots.

Soon, Zhang Ze reached the end once again.

The end was also marked by a golden door, though this time there were two guards beside it.

"Hmm..."

Looking at the two towering giants in golden armor, Zhang Ze equated them with the tree guards.

"May I enter?" Zhang Ze asked cautiously, with his hands folded.

"Inspection..."

The giant on the right spoke succinctly and slowly.

"How do I inspect?" Zhang Ze inquired.

"Strip naked..."

The giant on the left was equally terse.

Zhang Ze, "?"

Just as Zhang Ze considered going home, the spiritual fire in the giants' eyes suddenly extinguished, and they knelt down. The golden armor began to transform, gradually assimilating with the roots nearby.

Soon, the tree guards became part of the tree itself.

"The guards haven't been thinking straight lately, don't mind them, come on in."

The golden door opened slightly, and Granny Anya's voice drifted out from inside.

Zhang Ze slipped inside, but suddenly his foot fell through the air, as if he were standing in void.

The feeling of emptiness only lasted a moment, and when he came to his senses, he was firmly standing in a treehouse.

The treehouse wasn't large, and the decor was simple, with only a few ordinary objects.

Granny Anya sat opposite him.

But she seemed a bit off.

She leaned against a rattan chair, looking slight wan, her lower body covered with a thick, hand-woven blanket that hid most of her legs, which had become one with the floor.

Sister Wang stood behind her, placing a hand on Granny Anya's shoulder, and a faint glow enveloped them both.

It wasn't about transferring life force or healing injuries, but resisting some form of erosion.

Zhang Ze thought of the tree guards he saw at the door, who had been assimilated.

Zhang Ze, "Granny Anya, you..."

Granny Anya, "I know what you want to ask, but please sit down and listen to me first.

"Don't worry, it won't take much time."

Zhang Ze checked the connection on his right hand to confirm it was intact, then took out a small stool and sat down, waiting for Granny Anya to speak.

"I will help you find your companion lost in Earth Sea, but please do me a favor, young one."

Granny Anya drew out her nearly-wooden hand from under the blanket, with effort handing a hexagonal black Bone Armor to Zhang Ze.

Zhang Ze looked closely, though it appeared to be Bone Armor, its origin wasn't clear, nor what part of which creature it was made from.

The Bone Armor was pitch-black, its surface smooth, feeling oddly warm, almost as if it were a living creature.

Granny Anya, "The ancestors discovered this divine object beneath the Holy Tree. From that moment, they gained the Holy Tree's protection.

"And as exchange, each Priest becomes the guide."

"Guide?" Zhang Ze was puzzled.

Granny Anya, "When all things fall into silence, the Holy Tree will shield its people.

At that moment, the Holy Tree will leave the earth, taking its people to find a new home.

"However, where to wander, how to guide, I do not know, the ancestors never explained."

"Silence... you mean in three years?" Zhang Ze frowned slightly.

"The Holy Tree hasn't prophesied about this." Granny Anya shook her head and continued, "I called you here not because of some yet-unhappened calamity, but due to the Holy Tree itself."

Zhang Ze, "What's wrong with the Holy Tree?"

"The Holy Tree is ill." Granny Anya sighed.

Zhang Ze, "Ill?"

Granny Anya spoke softly, "Something invaded the Holy Tree, just today."

A few indistinct syllables escaped her lips, and the bone armor in Zhang Ze's hand warmed slightly again.

He connected with the Holy Tree.

Zhang Ze could clearly sense something within the Holy Tree, stuck there, corroding its life force.

Slowly but persistently.

Like a splinter in a finger.

The connection lasted only a brief instant before breaking; Zhang Ze glanced at the fiercely hot Bone Armor in his hand, then looked up and asked, "What can I do?"

"Extract that thing, or at least see what it is?

"Whether you can remove it or not, in exchange, I will help you find your companion lost in Earth Sea."

"Only you can do this task, young one." Sister Wang, who hadn't spoken before, chimed in.

"After feeling the Holy Tree's pain, Anya tried to investigate deeper as usual, but soon faced backlash once entering further.

"Driven by instinct, the Holy Tree started assimilating, rejecting all foreign things, striving to expel the invading object."

Zhang Ze, "Then I'm not considered a foreigner?"

Zhang Ze pointed to himself. Honestly, he wasn't familiar with the Holy Tree at all, it being the first meeting; entering straightaway felt somewhat rushed.

"You are, but you're not affected by the Holy Tree, besides you have an Innate Dao Body." Sister Wang explained.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ze contemplated for a moment before nodding.

"I can try, but I can't guarantee success, and I need to find Li first."

The Holy Tree won't perish immediately, however, Li and Brother Feng probably will; it's crucial to retrieve them swiftly.

"Alright." Granny Anya responded without hesitation.

Signaling Zhang Ze to approach, Granny Anya's wooden hand briefly returned to normal.

She pulled open Zhang Ze's sleeve, then paused for a moment.

It couldn't be helped, that golden middle finger was indeed eye-catching.

"Please ignore the details, it's all accidents... accidents..." Zhang Ze laughed awkwardly.

Granny Anya forced a smile, twisted like a branch, and the Battle Pattern spread from her fingertip onto Zhang Ze's arm, enhancing his connection with Li.

Granny Anya and Zhang Ze simultaneously shared a trace of Divine Soul, exploring deeply along the slender yet resilient connection into Earth Sea.

Only...

As they delved deeper, their expressions grew increasingly serious.

Zhang Ze's seriousness held a hint of embarrassment.

Granny Anya's seriousness bore a trace of peculiarity.

They found Li and the arm showing the middle finger.

And coincidentally, Li and the middle finger were the invading foreign objects in the Holy Tree...

Granny Anya raised her hand, looking at Zhang Ze with a complex expression.

It felt much like being locked out of your home, paying 50 to get a locksmith, and afterward the locksmith grinned, 'Your key is here, found it on the roadside this morning.'

Zhang Ze, "Granny, let me explain, it truly isn't my fault.

"Firstly, the main blame lies with Xiao Jing in the heavens, next, my junior apprentice who stole back the middle finger carried some responsibility too, given his poor driving skills.

"Lastly, there's Li and Tang... one failed to transform into a Dragon, the other didn't fire a cannon, such events might have been avoided.

"I'm a victim too, it really has nothing to do with me."

"Please believe me!"

Zhang Ze pressed his middle finger earnestly arguing.