The moment Yun Lintian's fingers closed around the wooden box, the world around him shattered like glass. The ruins, the serpent, his companions—everything vanished in an instant.
When his vision cleared, he found himself standing before a colossal tree that dwarfed mountains. Its trunk stretched endlessly into the heavens, its branches spanning the horizon like a celestial canopy.
Each leaf shimmered with a different hue—silver, gold, azure, crimson—radiating an aura that was both soothing and terrifying. It was as if the weight of the entire world pressed down upon him just by standing near it.
"Young man, don't stand too close to the World Tree."
A voice called out from behind.
Yun Lintian turned to see an elderly man in plain gray robes, his face lined with age but his eyes sharp and knowing.
