Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

Chapter 1: Sacrifice!

“One bow!”

“Two bows!”

“Three bows!”

“Kowtow!”

***

Amidst the clamor surrounding him, Noah Ji struggled to open his eyes, eager for a glimpse of his situation.

Gradually, his blurry consciousness began to awaken.

Before him was a peculiar ancestral hall, and below, rows of figures knelt on blue stone slabs, bowing towards him.

Noah murmured to himself:

It made sense, given the runaway truck, survival seemed impossible.

Yet, in the last moments of consciousness, he had managed to drag himself to the middle of the crosswalk. There should be a substantial compensation for his family.

At least he had done something for his family before dying.

Noah sighed, but then he sensed something amiss.

He was young, without children. Surely not so many would kowtow at his funeral?

Besides, if he was dead, how could he still have consciousness?

Before Noah could ponder further, a murky stream of consciousness surged into his mind.

It was the inheritance of memories!

His once hazy awareness quickly sharpened, and his vision cleared.

When Noah looked down again, he noticed something different. He didn’t recognize any of the bowing people, who were dressed in strange, primitive animal skins.

Noah looked down to check his own state. Had his soul ascended?

But upon seeing his body, no taller than two meters and no thicker than a bamboo pole, resembling a withered tree, he was at a loss for words.

This wasn’t a metaphor. He had literally become a tree!

Although he couldn’t identify the species, the withered and yellow branches indicated the tree was not in good shape.

Meanwhile, the rush of memories in his mind plunged Noah into deep thought.

***

“The ceremony is complete!”

“Sacrifice!”

As the crowd rose, several people brought forth the carcasses of unknown animals and placed them on the bare earth.

After the offerings were arranged, an elder in coarse clothes stepped forward, holding a yellowed animal hide aloft, uttering a string of strange and convoluted words:

“Great Sacred Tree, bestow upon us your supernatural power! Grant us the hope of life! Reveal your endless radiance…”

Noah understood the foreign language clearly, piecing together the fragmented memories that had flooded his mind, and the mysterious events before him now made sense.

He had not only become a tree but also the totem of this small clan!

He was the target of this sacrifice.

From the tree’s original memories, Noah learned that this was not his own world but a new one, a high martial world where clans were prevalent.

People had perfected the use of their Qi and Blood to great effect, establishing a unique cultivation system!

In this world, some could shatter mountains and soar through the skies!

What was impossible in his previous life was now reality!

Beyond this unique cultivation system, there was something called a totem for worship.

Noah’s memories on this were scant, and he only had a vague understanding.

However, it was clear that he was now the totem of this clan!

As a talent of the new century, Noah quickly accepted the fact that he had transversed, but the idea of becoming a tree, even a revered Sacred Tree, was still somewhat repellant to him.

Noah tried to stretch his body, but no matter how hard he tried, his branches remained motionless, only swaying slightly in the breeze.

After several futile attempts, Noah resigned himself to silently observe the actions of the people below, watching the unique ritual unfold.

Following the elder’s worship, the animal carcasses in the soil were slit at the throat, and blood gushed out, staining the ground crimson.

Though he lacked a body, the sight still made Noah involuntarily frown.

A blood sacrifice?

What good could come from such a ritual?

But then he remembered that they were worshipping him, so it was fine!

As the blood seeped into the ground, Noah felt a strange sensation in his body.

Uncertain whether it was good or bad, but as the blood reached the roots underground, a tremor ran through Noah’s soul!

It was a craving, an instinctual longing.

The next moment, the roots absorbed all the blood from the soil until not a drop was left.

After the sacrifice, the elder looked up at the Sacred Tree, saw no change as usual, and his eyes revealed a hint of disappointment and confusion before he bowed his head to pray again.

Aside from the elder, the expressions of the others varied, with some even looking at their Sacred Tree with a hint of disgust and hatred.

But Noah was oblivious, lost in a peculiar euphoria.

After the roots absorbed the blood, a crisp ding sounded by Noah’s ear.

Then, several floating captions slowly formed before his eyes like patterns.

[Name: Noah Ji]

[Species: Weak Sophora Tree]

[Vitality: 0.5]

[Supernatural Power: Eye of Insight]

[Technique: None]

[Combat Skill: None]

[Qi and Blood: 5 (convertible to Vitality)]

[Spiritual Power: 2]

[Status: As the worshipped Sacred Tree, you are but a flickering candle in the wind, on the brink of decay!]

[Deduction: ???]

[Please bind with a clan promptly to unlock more features!]

Seeing the ethereal captions, Noah, well-versed in various web novels, instantly understood.

This was his golden finger!

But why the ‘weak’ before Sophora Tree?

Eye of Insight (able to discern basic information about a target), was Noah’s only skill.

Vitality, undoubtedly, represented Noah’s lifespan. A Vitality of 0.5 indicated his limited time left.

The status column made this abundantly clear!

As for Qi and Blood and Spiritual Power, Noah was unclear, but the recent sensation gave him a rough idea of their origins, likely from absorbing the blood of the animal carcasses.

Qi and Blood could be converted to Vitality, meaning he could extend his lifespan. He wouldn’t have to be a short-lived tree?

Feeling his poor condition, Noah didn’t hesitate and directed his consciousness towards the Qi and Blood column.

The moment Noah made his selection, a bold, red caption appeared before him.

[Binding with a clan is required to use this feature. Chen Clan detected, do you wish to bind?]

[Once bound, the decision is irreversible! The body cannot be moved!]

[Yes?] [No?]

Faced with this sudden choice, Noah hesitated.

While selecting it could indeed strengthen his Vitality, the red letters and the twofold ‘cannot’ were warning him of the gravity of the situation.

If he chose the wrong clan or location, he would be utterly doomed.

As Noah was about to delve deeper into his golden finger before deciding, a frail figure rushed in from outside, shouting:

“Clan Chief, it’s bad! The Li Family is attacking!”