Chapter 76: Mogu Mountains

Chapter 76: Mogu Mountains

Bran gave up on going to the Emerald Water Pool. He would go there another time if he got the chance. For now, he wanted to finish the Trial as soon as possible, learn about the Wasteland quickly, and then go home. Danny’s hug had taught him many things. Someone was worried about him. Even though they respected his choice, they worried all the time. He couldn’t be too willful; he had to consider his family’s feelings.

The young bird was very intelligent. After following Bran and getting a life with meat to eat, it latched onto him. For the several days Bran was chasing Danny, it kept a close eye on Bran, afraid he would abandon it. After Bran caught up to Danny, it quickly understood the family relationship between Danny and Bran. When Bran obediently let Danny hold him in her arms, that action felt too much like being tucked safely under her wing. So, the little guy immediately stuck itself to Danny. After that, the young bird became Danny’s little shadow. While this made Bran happy, he also felt a touch of disappointment.

Bran felt completely settled now. Not wanting to cause any more trouble, he practiced his movements every day, only they became slower and slower. While walking, besides the movements of his feet, his other actions seemed stretched out endlessly. Bran worked hard to control himself, striving to master every detail of each movement with his body. He didn’t rely on momentum, or the aftereffects started by his initial actions. So his movements could only become slower and slower, aiming for a state where his body and mind became one. His whole demeanor changed, becoming serene. Whenever they made camp, he seemed almost motionless. Only after others had been busy for a long time would he appear to move a little.

A few days later, they reached the Mogu Mountains. Arriving here meant the rest of the journey would be undertaken by the children themselves. The escort ended here.

Facing the mountains, Bran seemed almost entranced. He stood perfectly still. Danny and Huahua stayed by Bran’s side, forbidding anyone from approaching or disturbing him. Just as Bran’s cousin was about to express her dissatisfaction, she was stopped and pulled away by her own Warrior.

“Don’t disturb him, he’s about to break through,” one Warrior said with envy, glancing at the youth from his own group and shaking his head with a hint of disappointment.

Bran only felt a tremor in his spirit. His whole self, the whole World, seemed to shake. A storm seemed to rage within his Spiritual World, ripping apart his senses, shattering them completely. He could only hold onto the last shred of clarity. He knew that final point of clarity was himself. The shaking stopped. All perception gradually returned. First, Darkness. He was a single point within endless blackness. Then, emptiness. And within that emptiness, he felt light. He was expanding. The surrounding blackness began to compress itself towards him. Finally, he broke free from the restraint. He regained his sight, his touch, and everything else.

Bran opened his eyes and grinned at Danny’s concerned face. “I’m fine. I’ve never felt better.”

Yes, he had never felt so good before. He didn’t feel full of strength, nor mentally invigorated. He was simply himself. Bran was no longer deceived by illusory feelings. He began to understand the true nature of power. Strength could only be distinguished through comparison. How he personally felt was just a feeling. The strength lay within this body. Whether he felt powerfully strong or utterly weak, it didn’t change the fundamental nature of this body. This was probably what it meant for body and mind to become one.

“Where are they?” Bran asked, not seeing his cousins.

“They left two days ago. You’ve been standing here for seven days.”

Looked like he owed a favor, Bran noted the Warriors from the Western Territory still guarding nearby.

…

The day after Bran recovered, he entered the mountains. He was now on his second day deep within them. As he went deeper, he felt the entire forest was brimming with vitality, except it didn’t match the season. It was already autumn, when all things gather their life force, preparing for the coming winter.

This abnormal environment made Bran more alert. Near some tall, thick trees, Bran felt an intense Mana. This Mana gathered and clung to these trees like thick fog.

What was this? Bran was curious. After testing it several times, he found it had no ill effect on him. Instead, getting closer felt like breathing fresh air.

Bran started observing the distribution pattern of these trees. The trees emitting Mana weren’t clustered together. As he traveled, they appeared almost at regular intervals. Around each tree formed a rich, diverse cluster of plants growing under its shelter. So, to Bran, it looked like many small Gardens, and these Gardens made up this forest land.

These Gardens showed no obvious signs of cultivation, but close observation revealed differences. In a natural selection scenario, the plants around each tree should be similar. But here, the plants around each tree differed more noticeably. At a quick glance they seemed alike, but the details were distinct, like in a neighborhood where owners plant different flowers and herbs based on their preferences.

This discovery sparked strong curiosity in Bran. He started carefully examining these Gardens, but found nothing.

…

Now Bran sat beside one Garden. Since he felt it might belong to someone, or perhaps was the home of some creature, he didn’t want to rashly intrude. He chose to stop here because this was the largest Garden he had encountered on his journey. The sturdy Ancient Tree stretched out its trunk like a large, open canopy sheltering the flowers and herbs below.

Bran was entranced. He thought he had seen many beautiful sights back in his original World. Even sitting at home, he could easily view all kinds of beautiful, hard-to-describe scenes, either magnificent or intricate, because some people always worked to create and discover beauty to share with the World. But the beauty before him deeply moved him. This was the real reason he didn’t barge in; he didn’t want to ruin it.

The Black Cat Huahua, influenced by Bran, was squatting near the Garden’s edge, turning its head to watch the pretty insects and butterflies flitting about within. A huge, colorful butterfly flew up inside the Garden. This caught Huahua’s interest. He crouched low, ready to stalk closer, but Bran scooped him up, stopping him. Instinctively, trained by long habit, the Black Cat Huahua instantly forgot the butterfly, gave a purr, and settled docilely in Bran’s arms.

Even standing at the edge of the Garden, Bran could still feel the refreshing sensation brought by that Mana. He decided to spend the night here. He would slowly grasp the characteristics of this Mana and memorize this feeling.