Otherworldly Desert Dust

"Our kin planted the sapling of the Soul Nesting Wood in Holy Sect Land; it was like setting up a base station, allowing people from the homeland to access this land via virtual devices!"

"The problem is, such actions are mostly forbidden by the upper echelons of the Holy Sect. It was fortunate that Qingxi discovered it and not another Bright Venerable. Had this been reported to the Holy Sect Ancestor, the worldly-wise ancestor would have known that besides the Barbaric Land Erosion, a group from the Human Clan was also attempting to descend upon their land."

"Although Nuwa's people, being little sprites and the tiny bees that gather Yuan You, largely do not impact the original ecology of otherworldly, the high-class Human Clan of the Cang Chu Divine Realm always look down on them. They see them as lowly, noisy flies, ready to obliterate them if they fluttered under their noses."

"Alas, why are our kin so careless? Luckily, I intercepted the situation. Otherwise, those idle Holy Sect Ancestors would trace the clues back to the temporary dwelling in the Divine Realm, leading to a million Outer Heaven Guests descending, and we would be back to tribal times," Wu Hen said.

"Your overall strength is still in the lower dimension; such descents are seen by them as no different from seizing a host. But once you advance to the high-dimensional, such descents are viewed as a God's manifestation, using their uncomprehending abilities to resolve crises they face, enlightening them, changing their world, and benefiting all directions. They would even worship you, carving your hosts into images of Saint Buddha, and worship for a thousand years," Bai Ze said.

"That makes sense. The weak are despicable foreign possessors, while the strong are the formless, all-embracing three thousand manifestations of Saint Buddha," Wu Hen suddenly had a clearer understanding.

"Return the sapling to them? Some of your fellow villagers are unreliable, and secretly planting the Soul Nesting Wood wasn't even well-timed. Do you want to help them? For you now, it's a trivial matter," Bai Ze suggested.

"An old leader told me when I arrived at the Holy Sect to not worry about the homeland's affairs; he feared my overprotection would rob them of the resilience needed for their own growth," Wu Hen explained.

"Right, you're nearly in the high-dimensional now. Every action of yours seems almost like a Divine Miracle to them. The more you intervene, the more they will only pray and rely on divinity when problems arise, losing their will to evolve."

"Still, I can't just sit by and do nothing. I can guide their general direction. It's better to teach someone to fish rather than just give them fish," Wu Hen added.

"You are increasingly embodying the mysterious aura of a high-dimensional life."

"Heh heh, I've spent a lifetime doing reading comprehension; it's about time for others to try and understand the thoughts of Wu Tian!"

...

Early one morning, Wu Hen felt the arrival of an acquaintance.

In the hall, Xu Xia looked at Wu Hen in surprise; she hadn't expected to encounter this influential figure here.

"Big shot, what are you doing here? This place is..." Xu Xia was both shocked and delighted.

"Aren't you here to see me? I was wondering how you knew I was here," Wu Hen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I originally came to visit Qingming Venerate. She commanded us to track down several aliens in the domain of White Pine City..." As she spoke, Xu Xia moved closer and whispered to Wu Hen that those aliens were actually kin. "They are navigators, their first task being to plant the Soul Nesting Wood, to allow more of our kin to awaken here, gather Yuan You, and ferry the Lost Ones. The second task was to escort the Totem Town Stone back, the very matter I discussed with you about Qin Sheng and Fei Ying."

"Oh!!" Wu Hen suddenly understood.

Isn't this a coincidence!

It turns out they're old teammates.

They ended up falling directly into my hands.

"Brother Wu, do you know Qingxi Mingzun? The Soul Nesting Wood sapling is very important to our homeland; losing one is akin to losing an entire Yuan You gathering pipeline..." Xu Xia said.

"I don't know her very well, but I can try to ask around for you. Most people probably won't recognize the Soul Nesting Wood, but some Holy Sect Ancestors understand everything and will surely be displeased. Who is the idiot who managed such an important matter so poorly?" Wu Hen inquired.

"It's a navigator called Zhuang Yuan. I've always heard that navigators are the vanguards of Humanity, each a super-hero with wisdom and strength, our true hope. But having dealt with them, I haven't found them impressive. Instead, I've had to cover for them and clean up their messes," Xu Xia couldn't help but complain.

Hearing this name, Wu Hen chuckled.

So, it was that White Peacock Man, hardly any skill, but pretends quite well. Following Mingyi and becoming a navigator yet still showing his incompetence.

Wu Hen inquired further and, confirming that Mingyi was not in their team, felt briefly disappointed but also quickly devised a plan.

Even if they were old teammates, Wu Hen would not show up to help directly. Now that they've roamed far and wide this long, they must've accumulated plenty of skills to handle otherworldly sub-chapters. The issues of the Barbaric Soil, so many intricate and cumbersome Ancient Evil God Tombs, could be left to them. He would have tea and chat leisurely with Qingxi.

"I'll act as a middleman, but given my special identity, don't mention anything about me to them," Wu Hen instructed Xu Xia.

"Alright, I'll listen to Big Brother!" Xu Xia nodded.

"I'll try asking Qingxi Mingzun for a favor, see if she'll grant me this courtesy. Though I thought once on the path of cultivation I wouldn't need to ask others for help, it turns out it's still the same as before. But what can we do when our kin mess up like this?" Wu Hen remarked.

"It's hard for Big Brother Wu for worrying about us all."

"Never mind, never mind. Even if Qingxi Mingzun admires my heroic bearing, I'm all in."

After saying this, Wu Hen headed towards Qingxi's residence.

Qingxi had already gotten up and, seeing Wu Hen coming over, she happily brewed tea for her junior brother and served up some snacks.

The two then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. After they finished, Wu Hen said to Qingxi, "Sister, managing the Barbaric Soil is so draining. I know some folk masters. We can promise them some benefits to have them manage it for us. If they encounter a major tomb they cannot handle, then we can step in. It will be more efficient, and we'll be more relaxed."

"That's true. For minor Earth Erosion, we really don't need to intervene ourselves. The tricky part is dealing with the Earth Evil Root."

"We'll use the Earth Evil Root to feed that miraculous sapling. When the Barbaric Yin Soldiers amass, we will intervene. For the smaller tombs, let them handle it. Of course, they must surrender every ancient relic they find," Wu Hen said.

"Alright, I'll follow your plan, junior brother," Qingxi nodded, happily agreeing to Wu Hen outsourcing the work.

"Great. Later, give them some Identity Tokens so they can move freely in Tongtian City."

After chatting with Qingxi, Wu Hen even went back to take a nap.

He didn't get up until the afternoon.

Xu Xia had been waiting outside all this time. Wu Hen thought the young man was sincere and didn't want to keep him waiting too long, otherwise, he might have kept an old team member hanging for ten days or half a month.

"There's been a turnaround!" Wu Hen dramatized as he appeared, feigning sweating profusely and begging.

"Really? Brother Wu is amazing to have connections that can influence a figure like Qingxi Mingzun!" Xu Xia got excited.

"The recent Earth Erosion from the Barbaric Soil has been troubling Qingxi Mingzun. That's why she seized our Soul Nesting Wood. She thinks it might be someone spreading the evil Barbaric Soil. She won't return the Soul Nesting Wood for now. However, if those navigators can resolve the issue of Barbaric Land Erosion, Qingxi Mingzun might turn a blind eye to our situation and return the Soul Nesting Wood," Wu Hen explained.

"That would be wonderful. The navigators also said they would do anything to get the Soul Nesting Wood back," Xu Xia smiled, feeling like he had facilitated a great benefit for all humanity.

"Pass the message to them, then bring Elder Wei Gu. He knows a great deal about the Ancient Ruins and can help the navigators solve most of the complex and dangerous problems," Wu Hen advised.

"Brother Wu, you are too impressive," Xu Xia said, thrilled at the notion of having an expert help them, his eyes shining with admiration for Wu Hen.

"Everything obtained from the Barbaric Land Erosion—the ancient artifacts, Spirit Fruits, Yuan You, Evil Root—must be handed over. Concealing any might lead to serious consequences. Don't be fooled by Qingxi Mingzun's saint-like beauty; she has a terrible temper. I've served her for a long time, and only barely managed to guess her thoughts," Wu Hen added.

"Big figures are indeed hard to serve. It's been tough, big brother. But you are still amazing; I once kneeled at the temple where Qingxi Mingzun resides, not daring to raise my eyes even to her embroidered shoes, yet you can talk directly with the Mingzun. In the Holy Sect, you certainly are someone," Xu Xia remarked.

"Alas, even in front of great figures, I am just a marginal character," Wu Hen sighed deeply.

At that moment, Qingxi's footsteps could be heard coming from the depths of the courtyard. She saw Wu Hen sitting in the hall talking to a junior disciple from across the veranda through the rain.

Being normally stern and imposing to others, Qingxi's tone naturally softened as she addressed Wu Hen, "Little junior brother, I've brought some dried fruits for your little white pet..."

Seeing this, Wu Hen quickly stood up and pushed Xu Xia out the door, then loudly covered up Qingxi's warm and gentle words, "Xu Xia, go and attend to the matter quickly! Don't delay Qingxi Mingzun's business!"

"Alright, alright, I'm on it!" Xu Xia, a hint of confusion flitting across his eyes but suppressed by Wu Hen's loud prompting, knew a domicile of such esteem was no place for someone of his standing. He hastily made his courtesies and left.

After Xu Xia left, Wu Hen switched back to a face of gentle and scholarly smiles to face Qingxi.

However, Qingxi stood there, eyeing Wu Hen, deeply suspicious that he was up to no good...

"Did I interrupt junior brother handling his matters?" Qingxi asked softly.

"It's just a few young juniors I met during my travels who wished to join me. I refused them but wasn't heartless enough not to arrange some tasks for them to help them grow instead of always relying on me to solve problems. It tires me," Wu Hen explained.

"Ah, ever since I became Mingzun, I never imagined I would have so many friends seeking me…"

"Since someone else is handling your things, sister, why don't you come with me and see if Jiang Heng's Big Fish have taken the bait?" Wu Hen suggested.

"Sure," Qingxi nodded.

With the work outsourced and profits still incoming, Qingxi no longer needed to run around the city.

Wu Hen also looked forward to checking whether his long-placed lines had snagged any Big Fish.