Chapter 191 - Arc 12: Ruyi Xianzhuang | Chapter 191: Immortal Sacred Tree
Translator: Lynn
Sorry for the delays, I have midterm exams right now;;;
Three days later, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
Entering from outside were a few familiar faces. They looked normal at a glance, but if one observed their eyes closely, they would notice an indescribable peculiarity.
Xu Ziqing stood by the door, his wood energy extremely pure, and his senses highly attuned. Bringing the individuals inside, he felt a subtle strangeness.
Is something off? Or was it just a trick of the mind…
Yun Lie emerged from the room, spotted the five people, and nodded in salutation, “Greetings, seniors.”
Xu Ziqing was taken aback and quickly saluted, “Greetings, seniors!”
He wasn’t aware of the method the sect leader employed to discreetly substitute several Foundation Establishment and Golden Core Formation Stage disciples who came with those Golden Core Daoist individuals with five elders above the Nascent Soul stage, and mingled among them within Ruyi Xianzhuang.
At this moment, they came to converse with Yun Lie, providing him with some reassurance.
All five elders were men, mimicking their auras quite convincingly. However, being in this courtyard, they didn’t conceal their voices.
One of the leaders chuckled and said, “My dear boy, others are unaware of our intentions, so let’s keep it hush-hush.”
Yun Lie assured, “I won’t let slip a word.”
Xu Ziqing promptly echoed his senior brother.
These five elders had exceedingly high levels of cultivation. After instructing Yun Lie, they returned to their respective courtyards to avoid drawing attention.
Once they had departed, Xu Ziqing sighed with relief and commented, “Shixiong, it seems the sect leader has already made up his mind.”
Yun Lie nodded slightly, urging caution.
Xu Ziqing affirmed solemnly, “I will certainly not expose any vulnerabilities!”
In the following days, they didn’t sense anything amiss. The five elders seemed to possess exceptional concealment methods.
This deepened Xu Ziqing’s admiration. He felt these elders were distinct from the formidable figures he had encountered before. Willing to set aside their prestige for the sake of the sect and feign weakness beside the younger generation, they must possess great inner strength.
No matter how much he admired, time swiftly passed.
In the blink of an eye, it was nearing the time for the Immortal Fruit Conference. During this period, nothing peculiar occurred, but there was an underlying unease in the air.
On this day, dawn was faint, and a phenomenon suddenly appeared in the sky.
Xu Ziqing followed Yun Lie to the door, witnessing heavy clouds rapidly gathering from all directions to a single point. It was as if numerous streams flowed into the sea, forming a core-like center. Subsequently, countless auras of heaven and earth spiraled into storms, sucked in avidly by that point, forming an inverted cone-like vortex resembling a massive tornado. The wild energy was so intense it almost solidified!
This scene bore a slight resemblance to Xu Ziqing’s recent breakthrough, but it was far more terrifying than his experience, a hundredfold, a thousandfold!
At this moment, the tumultuous aura unveiled the terrifying power between heaven and earth, with clouds amassed as if a collision was imminent, about to unleash a thunderous calamity!
Xu Ziqing was startled, “What’s happening?” He felt it more profoundly than others because he possessed a singular wood affinity. At this moment, he sensed the wood spirit in the void suddenly intensifying, deviating from its usual gentleness and turning fervent, eager to immerse itself in the core more than the other auras.
A suspicion arose in Xu Ziqing’s mind. He couldn’t help but blurt out, “Shixiong, is the Immortal fruit ripening?”
Yun Lie had his head slightly raised, observing the sky’s clouds. The sword intent emanating from him seemed poised, displaying a subtle resistance to the dominant intent pervading the heavens and earth. Upon hearing Xu Ziqing’s question, the aura around him gradually subsided, and the potent killing intent that was nearly ignited earlier gradually faded.
He replied, “Indeed.” A lingering coldness remained in his tone.
Xu Ziqing sensed that something was amiss with Yun Lie and felt a touch of concern, “Shixiong, what’s wrong?”
Yun Lie spoke solemnly, “A sword cultivator unleashed their sword intent into the sky, and it seems there was a thundercloud just now that caught my sword intent.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Ziqing was relieved. As long as his senior brother’s mood was stable, all was well.
The two Dao brothers exchanged a few words. Outside the small courtyard, the rustling of clothing could be heard as other disciples of the Wuling Immortal Sect gathered. Following them were attendants announcing, “The Immortal fruit is nearing ripeness. Please proceed to the orchard and await its moment.”
Upon hearing this, everyone hurried towards the orchard without hesitation.
The Immortal fruit ripened once every ten thousand years, during which the fruit tree would channel the aura of heaven and earth within a thousand-li radius, absorbing the energies of countless elements and returning them to the whirling fruit.
Simultaneously, it was rumored that doomsday would befall when the immortal fruit ripened, although this was not explicitly stated in ancient texts. However, Xu Ziqing observed the billowing clouds in the sky and immediately understood that whenever the Immortal tree bore fruit, it would be plagued by a thunder calamity, akin to how some demon cultivators and monsters faced trials as they advanced.
The group followed the direction of the spiritual energy storm without pausing. Upon leaving the courtyard, they witnessed numerous cultivators rushing towards the same destination, each utilizing their unique methods, resulting in a display of shimmering spells.
Yun Lie grabbed Xu Ziqing’s wrist, employing the “shrink the ground into an inch” technique and swiftly advanced. Xu Ziqing was momentarily surprised but grasped his brother’s hand in response, allowing him to lead.
He lowered his head to study his brother’s footsteps, examining the flow of power throughout his body, and did his best to replicate it. Due to his high comprehension, after a few attempts, he adjusted his steps, unexpectedly finding a technique.
However, this was not the time to learn this skill. In a short while, they drew nearer and nearer to the core.
The place where the immortal sacred tree stood was known as the “Five Elements Garden” due to the tree naturally absorbing the elemental spiritual energies of heaven and earth. The outer area was abundant with countless rare herbs, and as one progressed towards the center, the number and variety of spirit herbs increased.
The present circumstances were unusual, with no one guarding the garden. The garden gate stood wide open, tempting countless cultivators to rush in.
Yun Lie swiftly entered, his pace relentless. Xu Ziqing glanced to both sides and noticed that the spiritual grass covering the left and right areas had withered, a clear indication of the loss of wood energy. Their vitality had been severed, preventing any further growth.
The more Xu Ziqing looked at this, the more a sense of pity overcame him. He had memorized countless grades, types, and characteristics of spiritual grass. Even though they were scorched now, he could still recognize many precious varieties, evoking a strong sense of distress.
Xu Ziqing understood that the wood energy of these spiritual herbs had been extracted by the whirling tree.
Over thousands of years, these spirit grasses had been protected by the sacred tree and nurtured with pure wood energy. After ten thousand years, the divine tree would reclaim this pure wood energy. It was evident that “what you give is what you get”; everything had a cause and effect.
And the reason Ruyi Xianzhuang planted so many spiritual herbs near the sacred tree was self-explanatory.
Many Golden Core Daoists sought to reach the Immortal Sacred Tree first to demonstrate their strength, naturally exerting all their effort and refusing to relax.
Although Yun Lie wasn’t a rash and ruthless individual, he bore the reputation of the sect and kept his pace brisk, even slightly faster. The scenery seemed to blur in Xu Ziqing’s eyes, and he was suddenly at the front.
Indeed, Yun Lie and his group ultimately claimed the lead. In the entire Eastern Region, there was only one cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage in the top five of the Tianlong Ranking, and this was taken for granted.
At this moment, merely three miles ahead, a colossal tree stood, as thick as dozens of people hugging each other and over a hundred feet tall, resembling a horned dragon.
The roots of the Immortal Sacred Tree extended into the ground, likely not just a few miles deep, but due to their interwoven nature, they extended for an unknown number of miles.
It was unclear what kind of clay was used to create this land, making it nearly impervious to magical weapons and techniques. It was impossible to penetrate this land and harm the roots.
There were rumors that there were less than ten of these sacred trees in the three thousand great worlds, underscoring their rarity and preciousness, and thus, they were highly coveted!
At this moment, many branches of the sacred tree were veiled in a faint black light. This black light seemed to tremble slightly, and the countless leaves gathered and wove into a dense canopy resembling black jade.
It was both beautiful and astonishing!
Nearly all the cultivators were stunned. Many female cultivators also arrived, standing beside some men or simply watching from a distance.
Apart from the disciples accompanying their masters, the only ones from Ruyi Xianzhuang allowed near the Immortal Sacred Tree were Golden Core stage cultivators and female cultivators who had formed feelings for disciples from other sects.
Suddenly, the sky transformed.
In an instant, the turbulent spiritual energy in the world seemed to be drawn in by the sacred tree, depleting the vortex of power.
The grandeur of the Immortal Sacred Tree intensified, and the compressed clouds in the sky finally burst into a bright explosion.
Everyone knew this was a sign that the thunder tribulation was about to descend.
And soon, the vision reappeared in the clouds!
In a split second, lightning danced across the sky, purple bolts crackling, and countless electric serpents darting through the clouds, showcasing the formidable power of the impending thunder calamity. And beneath the sky, a towering tree stood, deeply rooted and unafraid. The entire tree gradually turned black, becoming an undeniable presence in the gradually darkening sky.
This sight was awe-inspiring!
“Crack, boom——”
A deep purple thunderbolt descended, slashing straight toward the crown of the giant tree! It seemed that it would devour the tree alive in the next moment!
Suddenly, someone exclaimed.
“Thunder Tribulation! The Thunder Tribulation has begun!”
“This is the forty-ninth thunder calamity! It’s terrifying for the Immortal Sacred Tree to endure such a thunder catastrophe!”
“Old Ancestor, with such an earth-shattering ability, there will naturally be an earth-shattering calamity!”
“To see such a sacred tree, it really is a worthwhile trip!”
As for Xu Ziqing’s keen perception, he couldn’t help but clench his fists, “Shixiong, it’ll bear fruits!”
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