Chapter Thirty-One: The Revered Divine Name of the Pure Garden

In Tokyo, at Mount Aran. About forty kilometers from the center of Tokyo, a group of people was walking along the mountain paths accompanied by a guide. "Here we are at Mount Aran. It looks quite deep and mysterious, doesn't it? Mount Aran is the largest mountain near Tokyo, deep within its range where human presence is scarce, with dense and towering trees, and steep terrain that has buried many adventurous climbers... "Moreover, the mountain is not just the resting place of climbers—it is also known as 'The Buried God Mountain.'"

"The Buried God Mountain?" someone among the tourists asked in confusion. "That's right," the guide nodded. "Hundreds to thousands of years ago, there were many fields and villages at the foot of Mount Aran, and people gathered there, giving rise to the worship of Shinto deities. The villagers at that time developed various beliefs in deities of Mount Aran and held simultaneous worship within the mountain. At its peak, there were over a hundred shrines within Mount Aran, thriving with offerings... "However, as time passed, these villages declined one by one, and the villagers gradually moved away, leaving Mount Aran a desolate mountain, causing those Shinto beliefs to fade as well. The existence of those shrines now holds significance only for folklorists and Shinto scholars. Without the support of faith, the once-revered deities were forgotten, and thus the mountain became known as 'The Buried God Mountain'—a mountain that buried both the shrines and the deities..."

The guide continued to speak passionately when suddenly, a flicker caught his eye in the corner of his vision. Could it be that the forgotten and buried deities of this mountain heard his narration and could not resist appearing? "Impossible!" The guide chuckled at his own thought. He set aside his doubts and continued to narrate, guiding the tourists through Mount Aran and fulfilling his duty.

Deep within Mount Aran, where the dense thickets concealed the area, it resembled the legendary "Land of Encountering Demons." The vermillion paint on the torii gate had eroded away, with half of it collapsed, and from the outside looking in, it appeared dark and enigmatic, revealing only the half-collapsed main hall of the shrine, like an entrance to a strange world.

If this were a parallel universe where supernatural powers existed, this place would likely be a den of monsters, a site of rampant spirits. However, Shikawa was well aware that in this world, devoid of any supernatural power save for himself and his kind, the so-called monsters and spirits were nothing but nonsense. Thus, he stepped in without hesitation.

Arriving at the main entrance of the shrine, before a stone tablet nearly rusted away by wind and rain, he gazed at the indistinct characters. Even though the text had been weathered and was barely discernible, Shikawa's eyes opened wide, capable of perceiving molecular changes, allowing him to easily restore the content in his mind based on the marks on the tablet.

"To the Honored Deity of Suyuan... The place of Hachiman, the Tree of Spring Encounter. Protecting the people, ensuring favorable winds and timely rains..."

"I see, so the object of worship at this shrine is actually that ancient tree behind it?"

Written in archaic Japanese, the inscription was fully grasped by Shikawa, a look of understanding brightening his face. For Shikawa, having surpassed level 380 in evolution not only enhanced his physical strength to unimaginable levels for a human but also elevated his brain's computational and memory capabilities to unprecedented heights. Although it was his first time encountering this archaic language, he restored its original meaning in his mind in an instant.

Pondering, Shikawa moved to the back of the shrine, gazing at the towering ancient tree that was the object of worship. True to its reputation as a sacred tree worshipped centuries ago, it appeared distinctly taller and more ancient than the surrounding trees. Perhaps due to its roots absorbing the surrounding nutrients and moisture, a few meters around the tree, referred to as "The Honored Deity of Suyuan" by its worshippers, was devoid of other trees.

"To the Honored Deity of Suyuan..." Shikawa approached the ancient tree, observing its dark bark while narrowing his eyes slightly. He had come to Tokyo to select the next extraordinary being, hoping to see if a new extraordinary individual could undergo a spiritual transformation like Yang Luo and awaken extraordinary abilities that he could replicate. However, during his journey toward Tokyo, passing through Mount Aran, he suddenly felt a spontaneous premonition, as if he might discover something significant. The focus of that premonition rested on this sacred tree behind the shrine.

"A premonition..." Shikawa thought deeply. From the perspective of an ordinary person, such a sixth sense seemed nonsensical. Yet from Shikawa's own viewpoint, this premonition might not be baseless. As his evolution level continued to rise, his perception sharpened, allowing him to sense things down to the molecular and even atomic level. In such a microscopic realm, quantum effects were infinitely amplified, and the so-called "premonitions" or "spontaneous urges" might indeed be manifestations of some possible future arising from quantum fluctuations.

... And that possibility ultimately led him here. Shikawa raised his hand and placed it on the ancient tree. There were no extraordinary sensations; the types of atoms and molecules composing it were the same as those of the surrounding trees. Yet Shikawa did not give up; in the next moment, a drop of crimson blood appeared in his hand. It was the "Blood of Evolution" split from his own body.

"In all my past attempts, the Blood of Evolution has only worked on animals—among which humans were the most exceptional, even capable of developing new extraordinary abilities through spiritual transformation. As for anything beyond animals—be it plants, microorganisms, or even non-living entities—they cannot absorb my Blood of Evolution and become extraordinary beings. ... However, since I felt this spontaneous urge today—why not give it a try?"

With that thought, Shikawa dripped the Blood of Evolution into the trunk of "The Honored Deity of Suyuan." The red blood slowly seeped into the dark body of the tree until it completely vanished. There was still no change. Shikawa shook his head. —It seemed that this spontaneous urge was indeed just a misunderstanding? He intended to leave.

But just as he lifted his foot to depart, a powerful sense of impact surged through him. "—Huh?!" Shock flashed in Shikawa's eyes. —He turned his head to look at the ancient tree. —He turned back to see himself. The former was his true self, viewing the world from a human perspective. The latter... "Shikawa" extended branches. In the dense thicket, he felt a part of his being rustling. Before him, "Shikawa" sensed, with plant-like perception, that "he" was staring in astonishment at "himself."

Human. Tree. Two different sensations converged at that moment, both divided and unified, both contradictory and harmonious. "I... have become this ancient tree—no, this ancient tree, after absorbing the 'Blood of Evolution,' has actually transformed into my avatar?!"