The morning sunlight shone down on the treetops in the royal orchard. A gentle breeze carried the faint fragrance of flowers to Punnya's nose. She strolled along the pebble path. The sound of birds chirping from the branches overhead was like a musical instrument that soothed the tension in her mind.
After the events of last night when everyone tried to solve the clues about the spy, the pressure in the atmosphere made her find a quiet place to think.
But while she was examining the trees around her, she stopped when her eyes caught sight of a tree that Li Shan had said was a forbidden fruit tree. Its leaves shone like stars at night.
"This tree again?" Punnya muttered. She walked closer. Its trunk seemed to reflect a faint light, and on it were intricately carved ancient characters.
"Why are you here..." She unconsciously reached out to touch the trunk, and suddenly, the whole world spun. The image in front of her blurred before another garden appeared, overlapping the one she was standing in.
In that image, the garden looked strange and beautiful in a way she had never seen before. Each tree shone with a multitude of colors, and an indescribable energy mass spread around it.
"What are you doing?" Li San's deep voice came from behind. Punya flinched. She turned around to see the gardener approaching with a puzzled look on her face.
"I mean, I touched this tree, and... I seem to see something..." Punya stammered.
Li San frowned before looking at the tree. "This isn't just a forbidden tree. In fact, this is a dimensional mother tree. They are rare trees that have the power to connect dimensions. I never thought there would be such a tree in the royal garden, but I only recently found out the truth."
Punya looked at Li San with a suspicious look. "A dimensional mother tree? Is it related to my world?"
Li San put on a serious face. "This tree may be the key that connects your world and this world, but it is something to be careful of, because its power can bring disaster."
Before Punya could ask further, the sound of footsteps approached. Xian Lan and Princess Ling Ya walked over hurriedly.
"Li Shan, what happened?" Xian Lan asked as she looked at the tree with a solemn gaze.
Ling Ya looked at the tree appraisingly. "I originally thought this was just a forbidden tree, but it's a dimensional mother tree... I thought it was just a legend. Then why did it appear in this garden?"
"I'm not sure myself, but it seems like Punya touched it and saw something," Li Shan replied.
Ling Ya turned to Punya. "Did you feel anything? The sight you saw could be a hint of a power that we don't understand yet."
"I saw another garden... It seems to have some power connected to this place, but I'm not sure what it means," Punya replied in a confused tone.
Xian Lan let out a long sigh. "This dimensional mother tree's appearance might not be a coincidence. We need to find out the truth about how it got here and whether it's related to our enemies."
"Whether it's related or not, we must not be careless," Ling Ya said in a resolute voice. "Punya, you have to be more careful if this tree is really connected to you. I'm afraid you'll be targeted by those who want to use this power to destroy the balance of our world."
Punya nodded, although she was worried inside. She began to understand that her crossing dimensions to this world might not be just a coincidence, and this tree might be the key to finding the answer she was looking for.
--
Inside the meeting hall of the imperial palace, the light from the chandelier reflected off the marble walls decorated with intricate floral patterns. The atmosphere was tense from the beginning of the meeting. Princess Lingyan sat at the head of the table, her sharp eyes staring at everyone who was participating.
"The incident in the garden is not a trivial matter," Lingya began in a resolute tone. "The mother tree that appeared might be connected to a danger that we cannot ignore. I would like everyone's opinions on how to handle this matter."
Xian Lan, the agricultural supervisor, stepped forward first. "Your Majesty, I think we should thoroughly inspect every point in the garden. The mother tree might not be the only one that has connections to other dimensions. If there is something hidden, we must find it before it is too late."
Li An, a researcher of fruit power, immediately objected. "However, leaving this tree to remain might bring great danger. We do not know what the other dimension will send. I propose to destroy the mother tree. To prevent any future problems."
Li An's voice echoed in the hall, causing many to nod in agreement. But suddenly, the Great Prince Li Cheng stood up with a powerful voice.
"I firmly object!" Li Cheng said, his eyes shining with determination. "Destroying the Mother Tree is like cutting off the opportunity to understand the mysteries of this garden. The tree may be the key to the power that we still don't understand. If we destroy it, we may lose the important secrets of this garden forever."
The whispers began to rise among the audience. Many agreed with the eldest prince's words, but many were also worried about the danger.
Xiao Yang, the second prince who had been sitting quietly the entire time, smiled slightly before speaking up. His tone was gentle but sly.
"I agree with my brother in that this dimensional mother tree might be important," Xiao Yang said, watching everyone's gazes. "But I also agree with Li An that it might be dangerous. For safety's sake, I suggest that we control this dimensional mother tree instead of destroying it. We can prevent anyone from using it without permission, while studying its power to protect the palace."
Xiao Yang's words caused a moment of silence. Everyone weighed his proposal.
"Control?" Li Cheng asked with a frown. "What exactly are you planning, Xiao Yang?"
Xiao Yang smiled faintly. "I only want to protect this palace. Brother, don't worry. I have no ill intentions."
However, Li Cheng's eyes were filled with suspicion, as if he saw the cunning in his younger brother's plans.
As the conflict heated up, Mei Ling, who had been sitting quietly the entire time, spoke up in a soft but firm voice.
"I think... The Mother Tree may be the answer to the question we are searching for."
Everyone's eyes turned to her in surprise.
"Why do you think so?" Princess Lingya asked.
"Because this tree may be related to Punya's dimensional crossing," Meiling replied. "If we can understand its power, we may be able to find the answer to why Punya is here. And maybe... it may help connect the missing link in our world."
Meiling's words made the conference room quiet. Everyone seemed to be pondering.
Princess Lingya leaned back in her chair, her face deep in thought. "Meiling's words make sense. I think we should think carefully about this decision. This meeting is not over yet. We will discuss it again after we have thoroughly examined the tree."
When the order was given, everyone stood up one after another. However, the gazes of Li Cheng and Xiao Yang were still filled with conflict. Meiling looked at Punya with eyes that seemed to say, "Everything has only just begun."
--
The night covered the fruit palace with silver moonlight. The quiet garden was only audible with the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves and the faint sound of insects. Punya and Wenqing walked along the gravel path to the Mother Tree that was discovered in the morning.
"Are you ready?" Wenqing asked, her tone calm but serious. The female warrior's sharp eyes stared at the path ahead.
"Ready," Punya replied. Even though she was still confused about what had happened in the past few days, curiosity pushed her forward.
The two entered the area where the Mother Tree stood. It stood tall like a tower that had defied time. Its leaves shone in the darkness, as if it had a life of its own.
"This is the Mother Tree," Wenqing said as she placed her hand on the sword she had brought with her. She stood guard around it as Punya approached.
Punya reached out to touch the trunk of the tree. The ancient characters carved into it glowed faintly as she touched it. A strange feeling flowed through her.
Suddenly, Punya's mind blurred. She saw herself in her old world, her smoothie shop, the rumbling blender, and the laughing customers. These images quickly passed by. Before she could see the orchard overlapping with her original world,
"Punya! What happened to you?" Wen Qing's voice pulled her back to reality.
"I… I don't know, but it's like I see something," Punya said. She took a deep breath and looked at the tree with more curiosity.
As Wen Qing stood guard around, her eyes caught some movement in the darkness. A dark shadow appeared between the bushes.
"There's something here," she said, immediately drawing her sword.
Punya turned to look in alarm. "What is it?"
Wen Qing crouched down in an attacking stance, her eyes fixed on the shadow that was getting closer. She prepared the power from the "Thunder Mango" fruit she carried with her, ready to release it if it was a threat.
But when the shadow came out of the bushes, it turned out to be just a wild deer. It looked at them curiously before walking away.
Wen Qing sighed softly, putting the sword back in its sheath. "Just a wild animal."
Punya smiled slightly. "It seems like we were too suspicious, but I don't blame you."
She turned back to the mother tree, reaching out to pluck a fruit from a low branch. It was crystal clear and emitted a faint glow in her hand.
"What are you going to do with it?" Wen Qing asked, her tone filled with caution.
"I think this fruit might hold the answer," Punya said, her eyes fixed on the fruit as if searching for some secret.
"Answer to what?"
"The answer to why I'm here," Punya said in a soft but firm voice.
Wen Qing looked at her with understanding. Although she didn't say anything, deep down she knew that Punya was not just an ordinary visitor. Punya's arrival in this world and the Mother Tree appearing at the same time might not be a coincidence.
The two decided to keep the fruit to study further before returning to the palace, leaving only the moonlight and the shadow of the Mother Tree still glowing in the silence.
__
The first light of the day shone through the windows of the reception hall in the Fruit Palace. Punya sat quietly with the transparent fruit she had picked the night before in her hand, her mind filled with unanswerable questions.
Princess Lingya and Xianlan walked into the room, their expressions filled with doubt and seriousness.
"What did you say? "This fruit comes from the Mother Tree?" Xian Lan asked, examining the fruit in Punya's hand.
"Yes," Punya replied. "I touched the tree last night, and I felt some energy, and the images in my mind took me back to the original world. I believe there is a connection between this tree and the
"I came here."
Ling Ya frowned slightly. She picked up the fruit and turned it around in her hand. "It looks like a crystal, but it glows on its own… I think it has some hidden power."
While the three were talking, Princess Meilin walked past the door and heard the conversation. Meilin stopped at the door and looked in. Her face showed interest.
"Are you talking about the Mother Tree?" Meilin asked as she entered the room.
Ling Ya turned around and nodded. "Yes, what are you interested in, little sister?"
Meilin smiled slightly before walking closer to the tree in the reception room. "I might be able to help you. I can sense the tree's spirit and find out the secrets it hides… with the fruit I have."
Meilin's words shocked everyone in the room. Even Ling Ya looked at her sister with doubt.
"Are you sure? That could be dangerous," Ling Ya warned.
"I'm sure," Meilin replied in a firm tone. "If this tree has anything to do with our fate, I also want to know what secret it holds."
Ling Ya finally let Mei Lin try to meditate and connect with the spirit of the tree. A transparent fruit was placed in the center of the table, while Mei Lin sat on the floor, breathing in and out slowly.
"Be careful," Ling Ya said with concern.
Mei Lin nodded, closed her eyes, and raised her hand above the fruit. A faint golden light began to emanate from her body. It spread throughout the room and flowed into the fruit.
Mei Lin suddenly flinched. The images in her head were distorted. She saw a fierce war, two dimensions clashing. One army was wearing black armor that was burning. The other army had weapons that emitted crystal light.
A voice rang out in her head, like a terrifying warning.
"Opening the dimensional gate will bring irreversible disaster. Be careful. It is a curse and a challenge of fate."
Mei Lin opened her eyes wide and gasped. She clutched her chest, as if trying to regain her senses.
"Mei Lin! What's wrong with you?" Ling Ya rushed closer in shock.
"I… I saw…" Mei Lin said with a trembling voice. "I saw a war… between two dimensions. I heard a warning that opening the dimensional portal would bring disaster to both worlds!"
Mei Lin's words made everyone in the room go silent. Xian Lan bit his lip, while Pun Ya stood there, feeling like everything that had happened was crashing down on her.
"Are you sure?" Ling Ya asked.
"I'm sure," Mei Lin replied, her tone filled with seriousness. "It's a very clear vision. I think we need to find a way to prevent the dimensional portal from opening."
Pun Ya looked at the fruit in Ling Ya's hand and couldn't help but ask himself, "What am I doing here…"
In the silence of the room, everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Mei Lin's discovery not only revealed the potential dangers, but also the beginning of many unanswered questions.