Chapter 1146 - 613: No Running Allowed!

It’s not that coincidental.

Because the figure appearing near the teleportation device was not anyone Xu Xin knew.

It was a man who looked very ordinary.

After teleporting, he glanced around and then looked up at the treehouse nearby.

At this moment, Xu Xin and Xu Ying stood still in place, exchanging a knowing glance.

The two of them were wearing invisibility cloaks; as long as they didn’t move, the newcomer wouldn’t notice them.

The man beside Shi Wanyun’s treehouse suddenly reached out his hand towards it.

Immediately, the roots of Shi Wanyun’s treehouse drooped down as if following an owner’s command, winding around the man’s arm, pulling him up into the treehouse interior.

The dense canopy closed, as if nothing had happened.

The two were startled.

Xu Ying glanced at Xu Xin, her eyes clearly asking: "Are you sure this is Shi Wanyun’s treehouse?"

Xu Xin returned the glance, indicating...

Not that sure.

He had never been here, had never really seen Shi Wanyun’s treehouse.

But he knew that Shi Wanyun’s treehouse was near the Transmission Array, with a teleportation device nearby, and most importantly, he had heard from Shi Wanyun that her treehouse was one level higher than his own.

This treehouse perfectly met those conditions.

...It should be, right?

But why can that man go up so casually?

At this point, Xu Ying took out a walnut-sized device from somewhere and lightly squeezed it.

Immediately, Xu Xin felt slightly dizzy.

He glanced at the small device in Xu Ying’s hand and looked at her with a questioning gaze.

"Soundwave disruption device," Xu Ying whispered, "Once activated, sound within a two-meter radius won’t get out. It works by generating reverse soundwaves for interference and collision, similar to the noise-cancelling ability of headphones from a thousand years ago. Initially, this soundwave interference may cause some discomfort, leading to dizziness."

"...So we can talk now?" Xu Xin whispered.

"Yes, but it’s still best not to be too loud, otherwise it might still be heard from outside."

Xu Xin nodded.

He looked at the treehouse: "According to my estimation, this treehouse is most likely Shi Wanyun’s."

"If that’s really the case... then it could be troublesome."

Xu Ying bit her finger, her expression somewhat conflicted.

"The treehouse owner was replaced?" Xu Xin thought about what Xu Ying had just told him.

"That’s one possibility," Xu Ying whispered, "but I don’t think so. I did mention earlier, you can normally replace the owner of a treehouse, but there’s a condition... which is to kill the original owner. In other words, if you want to replace the owner of a non-parasitic treehouse, you must kill the original owner first. At least, as far as I know, that’s how it is."

Xu Xin’s eyes flickered: "But Shi Wanyun is not dead."

He looked down at his watch: "At least in the treehouse system, her name is still lit, just unreachable."

"So, the owner of this treehouse has likely not been replaced."

Xu Ying kept her eyes on this relatively tall treehouse.

The man inside had yet to come out.

"What’s his situation then?" Xu Xin asked quietly.

At the same time, the two of them slowly moved towards the treehouse.

"Who else do you think can enter a treehouse besides its owner?" Xu Ying didn’t answer directly but asked in a low voice.

"...Someone granted permission by the owner?" Xu Xin guessed.

He was familiar with this.

His own treehouse had granted Li Wenxi permission to enter and exit freely.

And just now, they had granted the Explorer members the authority to enter and exit the World Tree at will.

"That’s one possibility too. Did you ever hear Shi Wanyun mention who she granted access to her treehouse?" Xu Ying asked.

"No," Xu Xin shook his head, "She never mentioned. So probably not."

Shi Wanyun was very cautious, not even allowing anyone to attach near her treehouse, let alone grant anyone access.

"Then let’s trust her for now," Xu Ying said softly, "If we rule out these two possibilities, there’s only one left. It’s that this person’s control over this treehouse is above Shi Wanyun."

Xu Xin was taken aback, and then his pupils shrank as he looked at the treehouse: "You mean, the man just now is... from the World Tree colonizing this area?"

Xu Ying had just explained that District 1 was within the influence of the alien invader’s World Tree colony.

Although Shi Wanyun’s treehouse was not a parasitic one, its relationship with the nearby World Tree was essentially equivalent to that between a parasitic treehouse and the main treehouse.

"Yes, that’s what I mean," Xu Ying’s voice carried a hint of excitement.

"Wait... if that’s the case, that person..." Xu Xin suddenly remembered something, frowning, "I recall that those who can control parasitic treehouses and enter them freely are only... the master of the main treehouse, right?"

Just like how Xu Xin could control parasitic treehouses, but someone granted permission like Li Wenxi could not.

"Yes, that’s indeed the case," Xu Ying turned her head to smile, "You’re quite smart, brother."