I am the Clone of a Death Row Inmate

Chapter 194: Chapter 174: Communication with the Mother Tree (Part 2)

Su Ze extended his Spiritual Power to make contact with it.

In an instant, he found his consciousness pulled into another space.

Illusory flowers bloomed all around him. Trees provided ample shade, and the grass was like a verdant carpet. The area wasn’t large, resembling the back garden of a wealthy family’s estate.

”Fortunate, divinely favored one.”

A voice suddenly rang out, its source unknown.

The voice wasn’t speaking any language Su Ze knew, but this was a world of consciousness, a form of spiritual communication. As such, Su Ze instantly understood its meaning.

’Divinely favored one?’

The last time Su Ze heard someone call him that was at the Temple of Evolution. Those shameless bastards from the Evolution Divine Teachings loved to call all evolved individuals ”divinely favored ones.”

”Where is this? And who are you? The Mother Tree?” Su Ze asked.

”Correct. I am the Mother Tree you speak of, or rather, a remnant consciousness left within it,” the voice replied, its pace steady and unhurried.

To Su Ze, it felt intelligent, yet its tone was as rigid as a computer program.

”Ahem... Venerable Mother Tree, I have admired you for a long time. Did you summon me here to bestow some boon upon me?”

’Doesn’t matter if it’s a living being or a program. Sucking up first before asking for handouts is never the wrong move.’

The consciousness of the Oasis Mother Tree fell silent for quite some time, seemingly unsure how to answer Su Ze’s question. After a long pause, it finally spoke:

”Your body craves the Evolutionary Liquid?”

’Evolutionary Liquid? It must mean the water from the Miracle Spring. So that’s what it’s called... Evolutionary Liquid.’ Su Ze immediately nodded.

”Oh merciful and generous Mother Tree, surely you wouldn’t hesitate to grant me some Evolutionary Liquid, just as a benevolent elder never hesitates to show care for the younger generation.”

The consciousness of the Oasis Mother Tree fell into an even longer silence. Just as Su Ze was starting to wonder if it was all talk, it finally spoke again:

”The Evolutionary Liquid is fundamental to the existence of the Oasis. I can give you three drops at most. Any more would affect the Oasis’s stability.”

’Three drops!’

’That’s more than enough!’

Su Ze had originally thought getting even one drop would be an incredible windfall; after all, a single drop was worth tens of billions.

”Oh, Mother Tree, you are far too generous! I’ll be sure to visit you often in the future,” Su Ze said with utmost sincerity.

’I’ve heard the water of the Miracle Spring replenishes over time. Plus, the Oasis is also rich in all sorts of high-grade natural medicines...’

However, despite easily obtaining the Oasis Mother Tree’s promise of three drops, Su Ze grew tense.

’No reward without merit. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.’

’If it was the illusory figure that appeared behind me that caught the Mother Tree’s attention, then it must want something from me in return.’

”Oh, Mother Tree, is there anything I can do to be of service?” Su Ze asked tactfully.

”Not at the moment.”

’Not at the moment... so there will be something later?’ ”Does that mean you’ll need my help later?” Su Ze pressed for clarification.

’The most expensive things are the ones you get for free. If what the Mother Tree asks is too dangerous or difficult... well, I’ll just have to take the goods and run.’

The Mother Tree had specifically summoned Su Ze; it couldn’t have been just to give him something. It definitely had something it wanted to say.

The Mother Tree’s voice returned. ”Consider the three drops of Evolutionary Liquid my investment in you. Someone who possesses a divine bloodline is worthy of such an investment.”

”You can’t help me with anything as you are now, but perhaps you can once you’ve grown stronger.”

”A divine bloodline? You called me a ’divinely favored one’ because I possess a divine bloodline?” Su Ze asked.

He guessed that this so-called divine bloodline referred to his Divine Grace of Evolution skill.

Divine Grace of Evolution came from a Bloodline Crystal, and skills from Bloodline Crystals were considered to be Divine Skill Prototypes.

”Correct. You possess an extremely high-level divine bloodline. Though incomplete, it is enough to give you the potential to become a god.” The Mother Tree’s voice paused. ”For over three hundred years, I have been searching for humans with the aptitude to achieve godhood. You are the second person I have met who fits the criteria.”

”Who was the first?”

’There’s actually someone else in the world who can be compared to me?’

Su Ze asked immediately.

As far as he knew, the Miracle Oasis had only appeared a little over three hundred years ago. By that point, the most brilliant powerhouse of Blue Star’s Era of Evolution, Lin Hua, had already been missing for more than a century.

’So it can’t be Lin Hua. Then who is it?’

”He was a human king. I saw nothing but plunder and destruction in his soul. I do not trust such a person, so I would not entrust him with anything. He came seeking the Evolutionary Liquid. I gave him one drop and sent him away.”

’A human king... the Shepherd King?!’

Su Ze immediately made the connection.

’If it really is the Shepherd King, I’ll have to take him even more seriously. For the Mother Tree to acknowledge him as having the ’aptitude for godhood’... the Shepherd King’s talent is more terrifying than I imagined.’

”I must say, you have a truly discerning eye for character, seeing at a glance that I’m a reliable person, one you can entrust with great responsibility,” Su Ze said, though he wasn’t sure if he was praising the Mother Tree or himself. ”Do you happen to remember how long ago the last person with the aptitude for godhood visited?”

”About a decade or so ago,” the Mother Tree said.

’A decade or so ago... The timeline matches perfectly. If it were someone from over a century ago, it couldn’t have been the Shepherd King. But just over a decade ago? The likelihood that it was him is much higher.’

Even though Su Ze was only present as a Consciousness Body and had no need to breathe, he still subconsciously took a deep breath.

He quickly snapped out of it, however. It wasn’t every day he met a being of such a high level, one that knew so many secrets. Su Ze seized the opportunity to ask everything he could about Divine Grace of Evolution.

”Do you know the origin of my divine bloodline? What would happen if I were to obtain the complete version?”

The Mother Tree replied, ”I am only a remnant of consciousness, not as erudite as you imagine. What I do know is that the divine bloodline within you is of an extremely high level, possibly even higher than that of my master.”

The Oasis Mother Tree actually had a master. This reminded Su Ze of the old man from the Oasis’s origin story—the one who planted his staff in the ground and asked a merchant caravan for water.

”Are there any hidden dangers to absorbing this divine bloodline?”

”If you follow a path another has already walked, their destination will also be yours. But that is not something you need to worry about right now. You are still only at the starting line.”

Su Ze grew pensive at these words.

Seeing that he could get no more information about Divine Grace of Evolution, Su Ze changed the subject. ”Can you give me a little hint as to what task you’ll eventually have for me?”

”Telling you now would be pointless. If you die prematurely before you’ve grown, I’d just be wasting my breath.” The Mother Tree paused. ”I brought you here this time to give you a reminder: come see me again after you complete your fourth evolution.”

”After your fourth evolution, you’ll have some ability to protect yourself and won’t be so easy to kill. I will tell you everything then.”

Su Ze made a mental note and nodded. ”I’m sure that day will come soon.”

Su Ze was in no hurry to leave. He had too many questions, like the secret behind the symbiosis of beasts and Spiritual Plants, or how he could borrow the power of Spiritual Plants like Ju Han. As long as the Mother Tree didn’t kick him out, he planned to ask every single one.

”Great Mother Tree, what level of being are you?

”Are you a Spiritual Plant? Or some kind of Wonder?”

”I am not a Spiritual Plant. You could consider me part of a powerful Wonder.”

After answering that question, the Mother Tree’s patience seemed to run out. Su Ze was about to ask another, but it cut him off directly. ”That is all for today. I will send you out.”

Su Ze’s vision went black. When he opened his eyes again, his consciousness had returned to his body.

”So old, yet not a shred of patience,” Su Ze muttered, turning his head only to see Ju Han standing right behind him.

”Uh, Mrs. Ju, the Mother Tree said I could fill a bottle with spring water to take with me. I’ll just... help myself, heh.” As he spoke, he pulled out a large, 500-milliliter glass bottle.

Ju Han’s eyes went wide.