Reincarnated as the Heavenly Dao

Daozi shifted his gaze ahead of the five-man team, past the dense forest and across the vast grasslands. Eventually settling on a location seven-hundred kilometers away from Weodrothis's domain. If the crimson tree was based in the realm's far 'south', then he was currently gazing upon the worlds 'north-east' corner.

Ten years ago, he detected a faint spiritual disturbance in this area. With the realms only inhabitants under a travel ban he had taken the liberty of investigating further, and under the scrutiny of his heavenly vision, the cause was quickly identified. 

He peered down at an inconspicuous pond.

It covered an area of twenty square meters and had a peak depth of only six meters. Lack of wind and fauna caused the pond's water to be untainted by external influences. Were it not for sunlight reflecting off the water's surface, it would have remained invisible to the naked eye.

The pond was nestled on the flat peak of a four-kilometer-high mountain, which itself was the tallest point in the realm. Dense vegetation grew at the base and slowly transitioned into rock as one approached the top. By the time one reached the pond there was already nothing but an empty expanse of earth, with only fleeting clouds decorating the horizon. 

His gaze focused on this seemingly ordinary pond, watching as trace amounts of ambient spiritual energy fell towards the water surface and disappeared. This process was so gradual that even a Golden Core cultivator, exerting their spiritual sense to the limit, wouldn't be able sense the changes that were occurring.

Compared to Weodrothis's awe-inspiring birth, this water was pursuing transcendence with unparalleled solemnity and calm. Like a gentle stream carving a through a mountain, it leisurely took in ambient energy to passively create a soul. There was not a hint of urgency.

When he first came to this area he had inwardly groaned. 'Calling this glorified puddle a slow cultivator would be doing a disservice to everyone who pursues immortal cultivation.'

With the speed of absorption, he estimated it would take at least 200,000 years for the water to gain sapience. By that point its birth would be inconsequential and the benefits negligible. 

Fortunately for the useless pool, it was born in an era with a destitute Heavenly Dao that was in desperate need of cultivators.

Glancing back at the fruit-folk being chased by his canines, he focused on the living apple in the center. He could see in its eyes the fear of death, desire to live and hope for salvation.

These deep-seated emotions merely washed over him like a gentle breeze. Having witnessed the awe-inspiring memories of the previous Heavenly Dao, he viewed the life and death of the single fruit-folk with detachment.

The void harbored beings of unimaginable might, and sacrifices were inevitable. Let alone the living fruits, he was already prepared to forsake entire worlds to secure the future of other realms. It was simply the cold reality they lived in. 

'Weodrothis you've troubled me enough, it's only right that I return the favor.'

The Forest

After clumsily tripping over an exposed root, Birgol, now plastered on the rough soil, hurriedly glanced at the living apple next to it.

Before leaving Weodrothis's foggy domain, it, alongside three other fruit-folk, were randomly chosen by this apple person to serve as protectors. Acting under the creator's will, the four of them could only reluctantly follow the red fruit to investigate what happened to the excursion.

Unlucky for them, and fortunate for the investigation, they found the likely culprits not long after leaving the fog. Though, the miscreants also spotted them.

With their mission achieved they tried to retreat back to the fog, but as if predicting their next move, the creatures blocked their escape and encircled the team.

Outnumbered and possessing lower cultivation, the group was forced to flee through a tiny opening between the hounds.

Looking around at the quiet forest, Birgol felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, the beasts that were chasing them did not take advantage of its vulnerability to launch an attack. 

With the most important fruit-folk still unscathed, Birgol stood back up and directed its attention to the three other escorts.

In addition to itself, there were two other blueberry people named Blurt and Bip. The fourth protector was an apple person who went by Atol. They were all untrained fruit-folk that had not undergone any cultivation or rigorous exercise.

The lack of skilled practitioners among the defenders stemmed from Bluog and Auopi's earlier expedition, which took away most of the qualified cultivators.

For Birgol and the other three guards, having to navigate the dense and complicated foliage with their mortal physique left them physically exhausted. Hanging branches and sharp thorns sliced through their delicate flesh with ease, causing them to be marked with minor cuts and bruises. When combined, these factors put significant strain on their body.

With its astute eye, Birgol could see the fatigue starting to take its toll on the other guardians. Legs were beginning to drag on the ground and the column was advancing at a noticeably slower speed. 

Knowing that a grisly death awaited them if they were caught by those damned creatures, Birgol decided to spur the other guards into hurrying.

Despite being tired itself, Birgol took in a deep breath, and projecting an authoritative tone, shouted. "Don't stray from Aipel! Use your flesh as a shield and don't break formation! As creations of the great one, we must not falter!"

Feeling the conviction in Birgol's voice; Blurt, Blip, and Atol were suddenly embarrassed at their lack of mental fortitude. Gritting their teeth, the three fruit-folk stood straight and forced themselves to keep pace. 

Satisfied with the result, Birgol stopped talking and instead focused on its own breathing. It only put on a strong front for the others; the reality was it was struggling just as much as its peers. 

At the center of the formation, Aipel couldn't help but feel a bit guilty as it watched the four untrained fruit-folk push their bodies just to protect it.

Back in the foggy domain it was just an irrelevant early body tempering stage practitioner. Were it not for Weodrothis arbitrarily assigning it as the nominal leader, it would have never deserved such a degree of care. 

Seeing the group on the verge of collapse, it considered splitting off from the team and leading the creatures in the opposite direction. While the beasts were evidently stronger than it and the danger was high, Aipel didn't want to see the others slaughtered for its sake.

In the midst of contemplating being a hero, a chilling sound suddenly echoed from behind the team.

Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!

The familiar noise sent a ghastly chill coursing through the five-fruit folk. Ever since they were initially "attacked" by the earthen canine, they had not stopped fleeing. 

A couple minutes ago the team had lost sight of the monsters. Without the psychological pressure of directly confronting the earthen dogs, Aipel had unknowingly grown bold.

But now, every clack served to reignite the central apple's fear of death. Listening to the cacophony of clacking beast jaws, any notion of splitting from the group was quickly dispelled. When confronted with death, very few could voluntarily sacrifice themselves, and Aipel was no exception.

The leading apple thought to itself. 'If the creator personally ordered them to protect me, then who am I to go against the grace's will and perish first?' 

It could only inwardly pray for its peers. 

After rationalizing away its responsibility, Aipel remained silent and quietly embraced its spot in the center of the group, no longer considering the idea of playing savior. 

The encroaching creatures, in addition to Birgol's prior words of motivation, compelled the squad to suppress their weariness and move faster. Travelling the forest in such grueling conditions inevitably caused the five-man team to begin shaking from the over-exertion.

As if condemned by the Heavens, the groups troubles did not stop there. Hounds would occasionally leap from the vegetation and take jabs at them. While no one fell in these attacks, a few members of the escort team still sustained serious injuries.

Blurt now walked with a limp after its right leg was shredded from a canine bite. The others considered leaving the blueberry person behind, but their comradery prevailed, and they decided to walk slower instead. A small branch was snapped off a tree and given to it to use as a makeshift cane.

In another incident, Atol lost its right arm while pulling Aipel away from an unexpected claw strike. Everything below the elbow was severed by the creatures' claws. As for the forearm, the shear energy behind the strike caused the appendage to fly into the woods, never to be seen again.

The members were not dense. With the strength of the pursuers, it was clear the canines could easily wipe out the team if they so desired.

As for why they hadn't, the fruit-folk could only speculate.

Staring at the seemingly endless forest, Birgol clenched its fists and silently cursed. "These damned things, I wish them nothing but misery!"

Days passed and the group finally left the woods.

Dragging themselves past the final tree, they were stunned by the sight before them.

A vast grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, with rolling hills and colorful flowers dotting the landscape. 

When confronted with such a picturesque scene, it immediately decided to temporarily halt their escape and rest behind one of the hills.

"I can still push further. If we stop now the beasts may surround us." Birgol publicly voiced its opposition to the plan. 

However, in contrast to its words, Birgol's swaying body and half-closed eyes revealed its true state. An observer would believe it a miracle that the blueberry even had the strength to speak.

Aipel merely glanced at Birgols unmistakably feeble and depleted body. Forget pushing further, the living blueberry would likely succumb to exhaustion if it took another step.

The leading apple simply shook its body and replied, "I will keep watch. Without foliage they won't be able to hide." 

Hearing those words, Birgol stopped resisting and fell to the ground. Blurt, Blip and Atol followed suite. Upon contact with the soft grass the four of them instantly fell unconscious.

Honoring its words, Aipel diligently kept watch. Its eyes constantly scanned the grassland for earthen dogs, while its ears carefully listened for the beast's signature clacking jaws and pounding footsteps.

As the hours ticked by and the surroundings went undisturbed, Aipel was inwardly surprised.

The team members slowly woke up one after the other, managing to get an uninterrupted sleep and fully restoring their depleted stamina. As Aipel explained the lack of activity in the area, a trace of hope spread amongst them.

"Maybe the beasts can't leave the forest?"

For a brief moment the group entertained the idea that they had finally escaped for good. 

Unfortunately for them, the beasts appeared shortly thereafter to crush their dreams. Cursing their misfortune the team scampered away in haste.

One week later, bruised and battered, but still alive, the five-man team sluggishly stumbled through a six-foot tall shrub. Leaving the grasslands they had once again entered another forest.

Beyond the shrub stood an elevated clearing, providing a clear view above the numerous trees in front.

Birgol, pushing a leaf away from its face, suddenly raised its eyes. Noticing its peculiar actions, the other four fruit-folk stopped as well, and turned their attention to the distance. 

Everyone abruptly froze as they took in the sight before them. 

In the distant horizon stood a colossal mound of rock, with a summit that pierced the clouds and reached for the elusive stars. Its towering stature dwarfed the surrounding hills and radiated a primordial charm onto onlookers. The exposed rocks seemingly reflected celestial light as they twinkled in the sun. Stray pebbles and small boulders periodically broke from the surface, exuding a fleeting luster as they plummeted into the vegetation below. 

Above the clouds, Daozi stared in amusement at the reactions below. By carefully utilizing his control over the sun and wind, he had successfully turned the visually plain mountain into a place that exuded the vibes of an immortal paradise.

Well, at least to these uninitiated fruit-folk. 

With the group's attention on the protrusion, Daozi moved on to the next step of his plan.

He traced his vision from the living fruit to the mountain.

Sensing the inseparable connection between himself and the realm, he promptly took action, and without needing to spend a divine merit, exercised his inherent authority.