Demi-human Girls Completion Manual-Chapter 940 - 38: The Tree

So, what is the external force that can interfere with the Demi-human Girls Completion Manual?

Fisher no longer hesitated, just slowly closed the Demi-human Girls Completion Manual and put it back in his arms. Then, he leaned slowly against the wall of the carriage, gradually merging with the silent environment inside the carriage amidst his chaotic thoughts.

...

...

"There are so many trees here. There definitely aren’t trees this big on Earth..."

The speaker was Tangze Asuka. Although she was usually quite reserved, the friendly people around her gradually helped her lower her guard. She reverted to the clear and somewhat naive demeanor seen in most young people of the twentieth century.

She looked excitedly at a giant tree in the distance that was getting closer, like a schoolchild on a bus trip. Though not as enormous as the illusory World Tree at the continent’s edge, it was already an extraordinary sight for her, as it measured about a hundred meters tall.

"Indeed."

Mikhail rarely commented, but unlike Tangze Asuka’s pure admiration, he seemed to be contemplating how such a huge tree could sustain itself.

"That place is our Chun Country’s capital, you know. Under that tree is Uncle Chun’s palace. And that tree is no ordinary tree; it was formed from the remains of Uncle Chun’s ancestor. Every year, we go to the palace to perform rituals."

"Oh, a giant tree formed from an ancestor?"

Not only Tangze Asuka, but even Fisher, who had been pondering without finding an answer, opened his eyes. He looked out of the carriage window at Lu Ming, a Deer Race member conversing with Tangze Asuka, who seemed just as young and naive as Tangze. Feeling embarrassed by the attention, she shuffled her hooves and stammered,

"Yes, that’s what my father and mother told me...and that’s what my grandfather and grandmother said as well."

Fisher was a bit surprised. After all, the Elf Species are Mythical Species, high-level demi-humans created by the World Tree using Life Authority, just like Angels and Longevity Species. But apparently, that’s not exactly the case, so he asked,

"Can the Elf Species die too? Aren’t they supposed to be Longevity Species like the Mythical Species?"

Upon hearing Fisher’s question, Lu Ming’s stuttering worsened, and she couldn’t answer him for the longest time. It was Hooked kiss who smiled, picking up the conversation to explain to Fisher,

"Strictly speaking, elves are indeed Longevity Species, but not in the sense of being almost eternally undying like the Angel Species. Their lifespan is roughly twice that of the common Whale-man Species. While a common Whale-man can live three to four thousand years on the sea floor, they can only survive a few decades on land before exhausting their life energy. The Elf Species can live for seven to eight thousand years. After reaching the end of their lifespan, they die, which is completely different from the angels..."

At this, Hooked kiss glanced at Helair, who had remained silent yet didn’t seem bored. For some reason, Fisher found it unusual for her to remain quietly for half an hour in the carriage. As the angel in question, Helair waved her hand with a smile, admitting,

"Yes, I’m quite the Old Immortal~"

Not knowing who she was addressing.

Hooked kiss then continued,

"It’s said that elves were created eleven thousand years ago, and the Angel Species probably emerged around that time too. Therefore, most elves have theoretically gone through one iteration. The elves have thus established the ’rituals’ because of their unique iteration mechanism. An elf’s offspring inherit everything from their predecessor, the title, fief, even the name..."

Fisher seemed to have spotted a loophole and asked Hooked kiss,

"But you mentioned before that Mythical Species rarely have offspring, so their iteration shouldn’t be feasible theoretically."

Hooked kiss nodded with a smile, pointing to the giant tree in the distance,

"That’s right, and that’s also why they plant trees... The ’rituals’ highly emphasize funerals and sacrifices. Upon an elf’s death, other elves will plant a tree on their body, using it as raw material. The dying elf’s body is absorbed and decomposed by the tree, which then grows extremely robust until, after four springs and summers and bearing fruits four times, a new elf emerges from the giant tree grown on the predecessor’s body, appearing as their ’descendant.’

Fisher opened his mouth, suddenly realizing something, but before he could speak, Hooked kiss seemed to intuit his thoughts and spoke first,

"You’re right, this process bypasses the normal birth cycle of life. The elf’s soul doesn’t return to the Spirit Realm; their body doesn’t perish, either. Instead, a completely new cycle is generated by the giant tree planted by the elves. The soul remains that elf’s, but is washed clean without a trace of memory; the body is also theirs, but the appearance and gender change..."

Hooked kiss drew a circle in the air, showcasing to everyone the incredibly mystical culture of the elves,

"The elves call this process ’Reincarnation.’ The deceased elf is the ’Predecessor,’ and the newly born elf the ’afterlife.’ The two seem as one yet not, like a cycle, appearing unchanging yet continually generating new content. The ’rituals’ created by the elves that emphasize sacrifice and funerals come from this. To them, the cycle of life is essential and inviolable, and understanding this is key to grasping the elves’ thoughts and culture."

"Many cultures like this exist; as the saying goes, ’those above influence those below.’ Though other living creatures on the Tree Continent don’t reincarnate from the trees planted on them after death, every race here practices this; they worship ancestors, inheriting their wisdom and experiences left behind..."

"Oh, of course, there are also some undesirable aspects. For instance, they enjoy eating the fruits of the trees formed from their relatives. I tried one, it had a slight gamy taste, not very pleasant."

Hooked kiss smacked their lips, their expression turning bitter as if recalling an unpleasant memory.