Astral Cockroach

Banbu, the Rat King, and Baizhu stood in a perfect triangle, thin black lines extending from the tips of their toes (claws), like ropes, firmly binding the sapling of the boundary tree.

An eerie atmosphere permeated the air, and the temperature seemed to drop to freezing point.

The Soul-Seizing Secret Art was a rather unique practice, using the soul as a medium, and requiring no Origin Power. Its effect was also very specific, primarily designed to deal with soul-state and elemental-state life forms in the universe.

Later, through continuous practical application and deduction, many other uses were derived, such as using it to torture Origin Power plants captured in war, forcing the tree spirits to surrender.

The Tata tree spirit had obviously suffered from the Soul-Seizing Secret Art before, and before it could even act, it began to wail, "Ya ya ya."

"What do you want to do? Eee ya ya..." Tata cried innocently, "I don't remember, I don't know anything..."

"Don't remember? Don't know?" Banbu waved his antennae, signaling the Rat King and Baizhu to withdraw the secret art.

The tree spirit had just awakened, and its soul was fragile, unable to withstand torment. If they accidentally killed it, they really wouldn't be able to ask anything.

Banbu asked, "Do you remember the Soul-Seizing Secret Art?"

The Tata tree spirit replied, "I remember."

Banbu asked, "Do you remember the human race? Do you remember your own name?"

The Tata tree spirit replied, "I remember, I remember."

Banbu asked, "Which star system is this? Where is it roughly located in the universe?"

The Tata tree spirit replied, "I don't know."

"Asking for trouble." Banbu didn't waste any more words, and waved his antennae.

The Rat King and Baizhu immediately acted, once again using the Soul-Seizing Secret Art to entangle the branches.

"Ya! Ya!" The Tata tree spirit wailed, crying, "I really don't know."

Banbu sternly asked, "What exactly happened to the transport ship?"

The Tata tree spirit cried, "Let me think!"

Banbu waved his antennae, signaling the Rat King and Baizhu to withdraw the secret art.

After a while, the Tata tree spirit cautiously and tentatively asked, "Space-time turbulence?"

"Space-time turbulence?" Banbu was stunned.

"I don't know! It's like a dream, I can't remember clearly..." The Tata tree spirit cried, "Endless darkness, no Origin Power, no matter, unable to see starlight, nothing, waiting for the arrival of death in confusion... My memories are lost..."

Banbu coldly sneered, "You were hiding inside the tree heart. Your soul was only overly weakened and fell into slumber. It's impossible for you to lose your memories."

The Tata tree spirit tremblingly asked, "Slept for too long?"

Banbu asked, "Then why didn't you age and die?"

"That's right, why didn't I age..." The Tata tree spirit exclaimed, "I didn't age, I became younger!"

"Stay put and don't move." Banbu shouted, "Let me examine your soul!"

The Tata tree spirit was obedient and dared not make any unusual movements, let alone resist.

Banbu carefully scanned and examined with his mental power.

Incredibly, the entire plant was no different from a normal God-Given Seed seedling. Tata's soul was also like a newborn, without a trace of the years, and even the inherent characteristics of a Star Realm level life form had disappeared.

It had completely become a young plant that had just sprouted.

Compared to the wild God-Given Seeds developed from common seeds, the only difference was the premature birth of a tree spirit.

The tree spirit's soul was not strong, and even very fragile. It should have many memories, but at the same time, it revealed the immaturity of a newborn.

Banbu said seriously, "Now, I will ask you a few more questions."

The Tata tree spirit became frightened upon hearing this, and said, "You ask..."

Banbu asked, "What does one plus one equal?"

The Tata tree spirit answered without hesitation, "Two."

Banbu asked, "What does one times one equal?"

The Tata tree spirit answered, "One."

Banbu asked, "Where do you come from?"

"I..." The Tata tree spirit fell into contemplation, and said tremblingly with a crying voice, "I, I forgot..."

Banbu asked, "Then why do you know multiplication and division?"

The Tata tree spirit said, "I remember this."

Banbu withdrew his mental power and fell into contemplation: If the tree spirit wasn't lying, then it must have forgotten the most important information, and still remember some things that are engraved in its soul as instincts...

This isn't a normal phenomenon, it's unscientific!

If the tree spirit wasn't lying, then its relevant memories must have been erased by some kind of power... What power could selectively erase the memories of a Realm Lord level soul? Perhaps when it was weakened and slumbering?

The key is that the Tata tree spirit and the newborn sapling are showing an abnormal aura in all aspects.

Banbu shook his head, throwing out the various distracting thoughts in his mind, and unfolded his mental power to continue questioning: "You are an Origin Power plant, what is the specific enhancement effect of the fruit you condense?"

The Tata tree spirit immediately replied, "Basic physique enhancement, specifically physical enhancement, up to one energy level."

"One energy level!" Banbu praised sincerely, "You are very good."

Banbu's attitude suddenly changed, becoming amiable, and he asked, "Tata, what is the approximate cycle of your flowering and fruiting?"

Tata seemed to recall, answering bit by bit, "The cold night falls into silence... The scorching sun and hot daytime, absorbing nutrients, growing, flowering, and fruiting."

One day and night? That's of course impossible!

Tata was probably talking about a planet without rotation, which only exhibits "day" and "night" when orbiting a star. Its so-called day and night is one orbit of the planet around the star.

Banbu asked, "Tata, how long is the night? How long is the day? How many nights and days apart does it flower and bear fruit once?"

Tata was silent, recalling, and shouted, "I remember! Ya! Ya! Flowering period is 200 stellar years, fruiting period is 300 stellar years, with a 300 stellar year rest in between."

A stellar year is a relatively common time unit in cosmic civilizations. One stellar year is roughly equivalent to one year on the current planet, but the specific time should be even longer.

Roughly flowering and fruiting once every 800 to 1,000 years?

Banbu asked, "What kind of plant are you?"

The Tata tree spirit replied, "I am the Tata tree! Tata trees grow very slowly, and the flowering and fruiting cycle is also very long..."

"I..." Banbu said, "Alright, you can grow slowly."

After Banbu finished speaking, he retracted the Soul-Seizing Secret Art.

"Banbu, why do I feel like it's not as terrifying as you said?" The Rat King said, also withdrawing the Soul-Seizing Secret Art.

Baizhu tilted his head and asked with a sidelong glance, "Banbu, it's obviously very weak. Are you being too worried?"

"Huh? Weren't you two bastards scared to death earlier?" Banbu said angrily, "Don't be careless. Baizhu, you stay here and continue to guard it. Report any situation at any time. Rat King, let's go back."

...

Baizhu stayed behind.

Banbu led the Rat King, walking to hurry on the road.

After walking a distance, Banbu asked, "Rat King, don't you find it strange?"

"I noticed it." The Rat King said, "Banbu, when we first found it, I clearly felt a threat, a very special feeling..."

Banbu pointed out, "That was a crushing at the soul level. In layman's terms, it means that its soul quality is much higher than yours."

"Right! That's the feeling." The Rat King said in confusion, "It's become weaker!"

"You and Baizhu have been taking turns to monitor it." Banbu asked, "When did it start?"

The Rat King thought carefully and said, "It should be when the tree heart disappeared and merged into the new seedling. During this process, its soul quality seemed to gradually deteriorate, and now it has become weaker than us."

Banbu didn't answer.

Bamboo rat warriors are born with outstanding perception abilities. After two brain enhancements, the Rat King and Baizhu's sensing abilities have also improved, so they couldn't be wrong.

The Tata tree spirit had indeed become weaker, a drop in soul level.

The Rat King said, "Banbu, if you're worried, you can let Youcha come and take a look."

In the past two years, Lizhu Peak has been calm and peaceful without any battles. Youcha spends his days lazily lying under the Camellia oleifera God-Given Seed, rarely moving.

Banbu was busy treasure hunting, and after returning to the mountain, he was busy dealing with various matters, so he really neglected Youcha's greatest ability.

Youcha's perception of living beings is much stronger than that of bamboo rat warriors!

Is the Tata tree spirit pretending?

Let Youcha come and take a look. If Youcha still can't see any problems, then there shouldn't be any problems.

The Rat King continued, "Banbu, it is a God-Given Seed and is growing. As long as there is no threat, it can be cultivated. In the future, we can harvest Origin Power food. Judging by its aura, it enhances basic physique? The quality probably won't be low, right?"

Banbu said, "The flowering and fruiting cycle is 800 years at the shortest, and may exceed 1,000 years at the longest. You can slowly cultivate it."

"..." The Rat King suggested, "Baizhu is idle all day long and is too lazy to do anything. Just let him guard it."