Chapter 435

Chapter 435: All-Encompassing

"Alright, alright, I apologize to you!"

The individual will of the Giant Tree bellowed within Wang Xiao’s spiritual world.

Everything around began to crumble, signaling that its consciousness was on the brink of extinction, no longer needing a false illusion to sustain it.

As the Giant Tree howled in weakness and intense pain, it made one final desperate plea:

"Listen to me! I can’t deceive you. A part of me has formed a symbiotic relationship with you. If I die, that part of the organization will lose its mind, and you will be eroded, becoming part of the will.

"Only by keeping me alive can I help you control that power. I don’t want to coexist; I just want to live! As long as I can survive, that’s all that matters!"

"It’s too late."

As the will of the Giant Tree neared death, Wang Xiao’s earlier fervor dissipated.

His demeanor turned icy, as if he had instantly switched personalities.

"You’re right; we cannot deceive each other here. So… I admit that for a moment, I wavered. Although it was just a fleeting thought, extinguished the next moment, I still feel ashamed of it.

"Thus, before you die, I need to make it clear—

"I will never make a deal with an enemy.

"As for what you call erosion or residue, it doesn’t matter; as long as it is in my body, it belongs to me!"

The illusion of the Giant Tree withered and vanished like bubbles, and finally, Wang Xiao only grasped a strand of mycelium, as thin as a hair.

With a strong tug, that mycelium completely lost the ability to resist and perished.

The Giant Tree’s last wail echoed in Wang Xiao’s consciousness space:

"Atropos, Clotho, Lachesis, save me…"

The space that had never existed in reality disappeared, and Wang Xiao regained control of his body.

However, due to the death of the mycelium from the Giant Tree, its legacy began to activate, attacking his body’s tissues uncontrollably due to a lack of management.

The two sides engaged in a tug-of-war, and without any external nutrient input, Wang Xiao felt that his regeneration was reaching its limit.

Struggling against the mycelium life was excruciating; Wang Xiao would rather be torn apart by extraordinary beasts. At least then he could understand which part of his body was missing, rather than endlessly repeating between growth and erosion as he was now.

He knew clearly that this was not a path to victory, but what should he do?

He had a premonition that this trial he faced now could not be resolved even with external help.

Because with his fighting method, he would inevitably fall into this trap again someday, and the enemy would not give him a second chance to escape.

So how could he truly solve this problem?

As he continued to devour the mycelium, Wang Xiao’s rationality became sharply clear in extreme pain.

He had to figure this out to achieve true victory.

In that moment, it was as if his consciousness detached from his body and entered the outside world.

Wang Xiao saw his own body from a third-person perspective, saw the thick layer of wood fibers enveloping it, saw the surrounding nutrient solution, and saw Arthur and Ji Yongxing conversing outside the glass jar.

Suddenly, as if inspired, Arthur’s gaze turned towards him—not toward the physical body in the glass jar, but to the empty space above.

He smiled a familiar smile that made Wang Xiao feel a sense of encouragement, giving a thumbs-up as if cheering him on.

Wang Xiao’s consciousness suddenly froze for a moment; he had not anticipated such a development. Yet, another question soon emerged.

What was Wang Xiao now—this consciousness or the physical body in the glass jar?

For others, this question might be difficult to judge, but for Wang Xiao, there was no doubt that the location of his consciousness was his true self.

So, was this not also a way of thinking?

Indeed, his body had been contaminated by the mycelium life and could not be completely cleansed.

But this did not affect his consciousness, as the invading Giant Tree Will had just been killed by him, leaving no possibility of revival.

As long as he anchored his consciousness as his true self, the body became a secondary vessel.

For the body, it would forever be just a tool for the consciousness. As a tool, whether it became dirty or underwent modification was entirely normal.

Once this thought arose, Wang Xiao began to ponder it endlessly, as if skiing freely without any restrictions.

After figuring all this out, he looked at his body inside the glass jar, feeling no fear—or rather, he felt no emotion at all.

What difference did it make whether a tool was dirty or clean? As long as it still worked, there was no need to replace it.

Suddenly, a phantom window appeared before Arthur, who was discussing a research report with Ji Yongxing:

【【Bestow a Blessing】 has been upgraded

Believer Wang Xiao has advanced

Current Level: Fourth

Current Path (Unique): 【Flesh and Blood】

Manifested Abilities: 【Proliferation】, 【Transformation】, 【Absorption】, 【Distortion】

【Triggered feedback effect of 【Bestow a Blessing】, you have gained a new ability:

Path: 【Flesh and Blood】

Manifested Abilities: 【Proliferation】, 【Transformation】, 【Absorption】, 【Distortion】, 【Control】

【Flesh and Blood—Control: Can manipulate biomass within 200 meters, can share the abilities of this path with living beings within 500 meters, the strength of shared abilities is determined by the recipient’s willpower. After sharing successfully, the sharer can leave the area; the duration is decided by the sharer.】

Lin Qingliu, in his leather suit, froze briefly in place.

This was the second Fifth Level ability he had unlocked. Compared to Lucas’s sudden gain of a path, Wang Xiao’s path was one he had watched grow bit by bit.

Not only Wang Xiao, but even he himself was gradually adapting to each stage of ability. Now, as he looked at the content of this Fifth Level portion, Lin Qingliu suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

Indeed, whether it was the previously unlocked 【Ground Shatter】 or the newly acquired 【Control】, it was not simply an advancement compared to the Fourth Level; it felt more like an expansion of power, range, and various aspects.

Lin Qingliu was smoothly advancing because he had the support of his system, but what about his believers?

Wang Xiao had experienced an out-of-body sensation when he advanced from three to four; he could not imagine what opportunity would allow him to successfully cross that threshold and reach the Fifth Level.

However, one thing Lin Qingliu was certain of was that when his believer advanced to the Fifth Level, the feedback he received would likely reach a terrifying level.