CHAPTER 1008: CHAPTER 201: THE SECOND FRAGMENTED BODY

But I am getting further and further away from completing the other two goals: Winter and Clouds.

Although the harshness of Winter threatens the survival of the trees, it is difficult to make the Jungle perish. The real problem is the lingering Clouds and the hidden trouble: plant calamities.

They are the barrier hindering Lu Li from retrieving the residual body. Without the power of the residual body, an ordinary Jungle cannot withstand the disasters that bring destruction.

"What causes the formation of Clouds?"

Ophelia couldn’t answer Lu Li’s question. Although she could answer that it is formed by water vapor in her capacity as a scholar and a library staff member.

"Protection."

The God of the Deep Sea, who had been looking at the cloud-covered earth with them, spoke without anyone noticing when he appeared.

"What?"

Lu Li’s eyes fell on the persistent shadow under the God of the Deep Sea’s cloak.

"The clouds protect the world, keeping it from exposing under the starry sky..."

"Exposed... outside... what will... happen?" Ophelia asked.

"The world... returns to silence..."

Ophelia didn’t like the God of the Deep Sea mimicking her hesitations, but it truly added weight to his words.

Lu Li thought about his encounters in Arlen Kingdom: The awakening Ancient God roared to the heavens, the vast star ocean gathered into eyes that watched, and the Ancient God turned to ashes.

"Is it easy to disperse the clouds?"

"It is a rule of... I can’t remember anymore." The power that the eyes could bear was limited.

The cloud layer, called a rule by the God of the Deep Sea, was at the highest level. At least, the Black Ring suspended in Tillage Garden wasn’t as high, nor were the skies torn by the Light Thief and the Illusory Skies.

Lu Li brought the question back to the present: "Can you differentiate between seawater and freshwater?"

"You are challenging the majesty of the Gods," the God of the Deep Sea whispered coldly.

"Can you?"

"I... cannot. But maybe after acquiring the residual body..."

Before continuing the discussion, the Shadow Figures brought news that the worms digging around Shadow Town had discovered a burial site underground.

Leaving the God of the Deep Sea to continue draining water, Lu Li and Ophelia headed to Shadow Town.

A few hundred meters from the ruins, some Six-legged Monsters and Shadow Figures gathered around. The bulging, soft soil showed that worms had drilled out of the ground, bringing with them a decayed, mud-covered wooden coffin.

The problem wasn’t the corpse itself but the edge of the coffin nailed shut with iron nails. Due to severe decay, many nails no longer served, merely barely keeping the lid from falling off during shifting.

"Open it."

The Six-legged Monsters scampered to the coffin faster than the believers, lifting the decayed lid.

Old noble clothing was scattered around with hard-to-assemble gray bones, with a faded notebook staying jostled in the boot stuffed with a leg bone.

Ophelia took out the notebook.

The writer claimed to be Johnson, the first mayor of Shadow Town. He claimed that he was framed by the cultists who replaced his identity, knocked out, nailed into the coffin, and buried underground.

The sloppy and brief content evidences Johnson’s agony, who claimed to be the mayor. Perhaps when he woke up, there was barely any air left in the coffin, and he suffered a painful death in the heat and suffocation.

Ophelia placed the notebook back into the noble attire’s chest in the coffin, a charred hand blossoming with heat, burning away the contamination.

"Bury him in Shadow Town’s graveyard."

Lu Li said, as tracing back a hundred years ago no longer had any meaning. The people of that time were gone, and so were the institutions.

The Six-legged Monsters took the enclosed coffin to a graveyard outside the ruins, buried beside the tombstone inscribed with ’First Mayor Johnson’, pulling back the tombstone to stand before the real Johnson’s grave, and erecting a new tombstone with ’Imposter’ in front of the false mayor’s grave.

"I let my servants do this..."

Mother of the Marsh appeared in the graveyard, answering Puxiu and Ophelia’s questions.

"Did the eye left on the coast of Luo Kou Town get used?"

Lu Li asked Merchant Anthony, receiving a negative response, so Lu Li had the believers erect another dozen tombstones, engraving the names of those who died underground as Puxiu recited them.

The believers behind them prostrated in prayer, becoming fanatics due to the act of "God personally erecting tombstones." Only Mother of the Marsh could observe the dense faith swirling around Lu Li, yet it was repelled.

"Do they believe in Anna as well as you?" Mother of the Marsh asked.

"To them, I am the spouse of the Divinity."

Even though Anna was not a Divinity.

"Why does your Banyan Tree grow?" Lu Li suddenly asked her.

"Faith brings power... I am strong because of them, and they are strong because of me."

The faith of the believers allows the Divinity to gain power, and the power reciprocated by the Divinity allows the believers to grow.

This is the only way an ordinary Jungle can survive without light after losing the residual body.

"Then do you mind the Jungle becoming your believers?"

...

Lu Li and Mother of the Marsh ventured deep into the Twisted Jungle, hoping to bring faith to Mother of the Marsh in exchange for the hope of survival.

Unexpectedly, the giant tree easily agreed to Lu Li’s request, as it didn’t believe a friend would harm it.

Mother of the Marsh also didn’t withhold its human side: forgiving the Twisted Jungle that initiated the twenty-year-long war and not turning the Jungle into its servants.

From now on, Shadow Swamp would no longer be divided into the north and south.

The Shadow Figures, Six-legged Monsters, and the newly born Glowing Grass were frolicking in their new home. The giant tree quickly embraced the new family, or it was embraced by the new family, joyously feeling the birth of vitality in the Jungle.

Among all the beauty, only one existence was dissatisfied.

"Why don’t you let it... believe in me?"

Feeling the growing power of Mother of the Marsh, the God of the Deep Sea expressed dissatisfaction, but after a brief reflection, He negated himself: "No... it is right not to believe in me."

During the long period of the God of the Deep Sea’s fall, His mighty servants established themselves as new gods, and the believers were also corrupted. If the Jungle believed in Him, the new believers would be usurped by them, and they would learn of the God of the Deep Sea’s revival—

The young heir, lacking the strength to protect riches, can only be at the mercy of their greedy relatives.

In five days, the seawater within the marsh was completely drained, revealing bare, yet-to-dry silt and a half-meter-high, day-and-night constructed breakwater. The eastern ground was also cultivated by worms, ready for expansion.

And the Jungle had also resolved the crisis of survival through faith.

...

Everyone gathered before the giant tree.

"Will I become like before, knowing nothing?"

The trembling voice echoed.

"You are my believer, no longer influenced by the residual body," Mother of the Marsh softly spoke.

The God of the Deep Sea rose to the treetop, touching the bone of the remnant finger—

Indescribable auras spread, the sound of the waves was nearby, and in a brief moment of stupor, the illusion faded, the God of the Deep Sea fell back to the ground, leaving only the traces where the surrounding water had receded.

"I... have grown stronger again." The God of the Deep Sea whispered.

This change manifested in His outline: the black robe became deeper, vaguely outlining an indistinct form.

Now, having resolved the Shadow Swamp conflict and reclaimed the residual body of the God of the Deep Sea, it was time for them to bid farewell.

On the eve of departure, Lu Li returned the giant tree’s gift: granting it many fairy tales, and books of geography and biology.

Mother of the Marsh lowered her gaze to observe Lu Li.

"Where is my gift then?"