Chapter 937 – Wood Shaping

“Since you think everything’s fine, go ahead and ask the Tree Spirit for help!” Matil gently pushed Mo Lan toward the tree hollow, gesturing for her to approach.

“Ask the Tree Spirit for help?” Mo Lan tilted her small face upward, her eyes full of confusion.

Over the past few days while playing around the tribe, she had watched plenty of Elves building their own treehouses.

They would typically choose an ancient tree that was thick enough and lush with branches and leaves, then cast a nature magic called “Wood Shaping.”

Under the influence of Wood Shaping, the tree’s branches would bend and grow like clay being kneaded by invisible hands, following the caster’s will — bending, curving, and closing together to form the main structure of a treehouse in a short time.

Afterward, various vine plants would be woven into vine ladders or vine bridges to connect different areas.

Even Elves with slightly inferior magical ability would complete the process gradually over several sessions spanning many days.

This “Wood Shaping” magic clearly wasn’t low-level — at the very least, Polly and Celine hadn’t yet received the corresponding magical inheritance.

Even the Wood-Shaping Spell in Witch Magic wasn’t as versatile as this magic. At the very least, the Wood-Shaping Spell couldn’t be cast on living ancient trees — it could only be used to shape dead wood and wooden planks.

In Mo Lan’s current state, where she hadn’t even unlocked the inheritance memories for zero-level magic, there was absolutely no way she could cast Wood Shaping.

She had originally assumed that Grandma Matil would personally step in and use this magic to build a treehouse for her up on that high branch.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Matil patiently explained:

“Silly child, the most important aspect of successfully casting ‘Wood Shaping’ is that the caster’s will and magical energy must be stronger than the spirituality and forces of nature contained within the target tree. The Tree of Life of our Emerald Green Tribe — and indeed the Trees of Life of many Elf tribes throughout the Seran world — are all branches of the Mother Tree of Life.

“Tell me, what Elf in this world possesses a casting will and magical energy powerful enough to surpass the Mother Tree of Life — the one that gave birth to all Elves and has existed far longer than any of them?

“Moreover, the effects of ‘Wood Shaping’ fundamentally violate a tree’s natural growth patterns. For the tree being targeted, its natural growth state and spirituality will be disturbed and damaged to a certain degree.

“Because of this, before casting ‘Wood Shaping,’ Elves typically spend a long time communicating with the target tree to establish a deep connection.

“Even so, after the spell is complete, they must spend a long time carefully nurturing and repairing the tree to compensate for the damage.

“So even if an Elf with such tremendous power truly existed, they absolutely would not — and should not — cast ‘Wood Shaping’ on the Tree of Life. That would be a desecration of the Tree Spirit!

“But if the Tree Spirit acts on its own, there’s no such concern at all.”

Mo Lan only half-understood, but her curiosity was thoroughly piqued, and she had even more questions: “What is ‘casting will’? And if both involve using a tree’s body to make a treehouse, and both violate natural growth patterns, why does a tree’s spirituality get damaged when ‘Wood Shaping’ is cast on it, but it’s not affected when the Tree Spirit Mother makes the treehouse herself?”

Matil smiled and gently patted Mo Lan on the head. “You’ll understand the principles behind all of this once you receive more inheritance memories. For now, just remember that the Tree of Life holds a very high spiritual rank, and ordinary nature magic is simply ineffective against it. If you want to make a home here, you either have to forgo magic entirely and build everything by hand, bit by bit, or you can ask the Tree Spirit for help!”

Mo Lan suppressed the questions in her heart and walked to the deepest part of the tree hollow, gently pressing her palm against the tree wall covered in ancient patterns.

She couldn’t use Wood Speech, so she couldn’t hear the Tree Spirit’s voice — but that didn’t stop the Tree Spirit from hearing hers.

“Tree Spirit Mother…” she called out softly. “I… I really love the spot you chose for me. But I’m still too small, and I don’t have the strength to build a little shelter there that can keep out the wind and rain and let me sleep peacefully… Could… could you help me? I want a home — the home closest to you.”

She did her best to describe in words the dwelling she envisioned: a warm, dry little space where she could lie down and sleep, a small platform where she could sit and watch the scenery and practice magic…

The tree hollow was so quiet that the only sound was her own voice. But beneath her palm, rich forces of nature flowed steadily through the bark.

Then, a miracle unfolded before her eyes.

Inside the previously empty tree hollow beside her, the wall near the bottom began to slowly and smoothly indent inward, forming the outline of a natural, flat “bed.” The edges rose up naturally, like a pillow rest.

At the hollow’s entrance, several supple aerial roots descended and intertwined on their own, forming a flexible living curtain that could open and close freely, carrying a fresh fragrance. It ensured privacy without completely sealing off the interior from the outside.

On the branch platform outside, near the tree hollow, the wood naturally rose and shaped itself into a fixed low table and two small tree-stump stools.

Even above the platform, several aerial roots and broad luminescent leaves elegantly entwined, automatically weaving themselves into a small suspended hammock with a shading canopy overhead, swaying gently in the breeze.

The entire process was silent, swift, and perfectly natural.

There were no blinding flashes of light, no violent fluctuations of magic — only the vast and gentle power of the Tree of Life itself flowing and shaping.

It was as though the treehouse hadn’t been “built” at all, but had simply grown into the form it was always meant to take.

After a dozen or so breaths, all changes ceased.

An exquisite, warm treehouse full of natural charm, perfectly fused with the Tree of Life, now stood before Mo Lan’s eyes.

Looking at this instantly formed treehouse — even cozier than she had imagined — and feeling the forces of nature here, richer than anywhere else in the tribe, Mo Lan pressed her cheek against the trunk and whispered:

“Thank you, Tree Spirit Mother! I… I love it so much!”

For Mo Lan, the only drawback of this place was that it was too close to the Tree of Life, making it difficult to slip into her mirror space undetected by the Tree Spirit’s perception.

But the Tree of Life’s root system was vast, and the entire tribe was under the Tree Spirit’s protection. Living here was hardly different from living anywhere else in the tribe. If anything, the dense forces of nature here were even more beneficial for an Elf’s growth.

Matil gazed at the naturally formed treehouse before her, her eyes filled with admiration.

She stepped inside and ran her hand over the smooth “wooden bed,” then said softly to Mo Lan: “The Tree Spirit truly favors you. This bed is grown entirely from heartwood. It will nourish your body and spirit day and night, which will be tremendously beneficial for your growth.”

This was absolutely the home every Elf dreamed of!

“Now then, take a look at what your new home still needs, and I’ll help you set it up.”