Chapter 226

Chapter 226

Wen Qiao circled the divine tree.

The divine tree had lost all vitality and consciousness, making it impossible for her to communicate with it. She couldn't even ask what had happened.

Wen Qiao felt sorrow, but more than that, she felt regret.

The growth of a divine tree was not easy, especially in a place like the Lower Realm. Each time a divine tree appeared, the commotion it caused was unimaginable.

However, this divine tree was born to suppress Heavenly Origin.

No one knew how long it had stood guard here until its vitality was exhausted, and the Heavenly Origin was engulfed by the sea of blood. This sea of blood represented the consciousness of the evil spirits within the Heavenly Origin, which had consciously worn down the divine tree's vitality—perhaps these evil spirits had already targeted the divine tree before this.

One could say that the existence of the divine tree was the cornerstone of stability for the Heavenly Origin.

As long as the divine tree remained, even if the evil spirits in the Heavenly Origin broke free from the Evil Suppression Stones, the cultivators of the Flying Star Continent would have time to prepare and re-suppress them.

As Su Wangling said, the Heavenly Origin was at a critical juncture.

If they couldn't re-suppress the sea of blood and allow the monsters of the Heavenly Origin to break out using the sea of blood, the entire Flying Star Continent might be destroyed.

Perhaps the sudden appearance of the divine tree's aura on that day indicated that its vitality was nearly depleted, forcing it to warn the world about the crisis in the Heavenly Origin.

This divine tree could only use its remaining vitality to condense a seed, struggling to protect it deep within the sea of blood.

When the sea of blood completely eroded its last bit of strength, the absolute domain would vanish, and this fragile seed would eventually be swallowed by the sea of blood. The Flying Star Continent would lose its divine tree and have nothing left to prevent its destruction.

After piecing together the events, Wen Qiao sat down under the divine tree, staring at the seed in her hand.

In the depths of the dark sea of blood, the seed emitted a gentle white light, exuding the pure aura of the divine tree. This aura filled the small space, refreshing the mind. Wen Guangun and Wen Tutu, two beasts, poked their heads to stare at the seed.

It smells good; I want to eat it!

As if sensing the two beasts' desire to eat it, the seed, which had been lying quietly in Wen Qiao's hands, suddenly shot up into the air and hit the two disrespectful beasts with a thud.

The two furry balls fell to the ground, crying in pain with tears in their eyes.

Even Wen Qiao, who was half-beast, was hit and cried out in pain. How much more so for the two ninth-stage beasts whose bodies weren't strong enough to withstand the divine tree's seed.

After hitting the two beasts, the divine tree seed flew back into Wen Qiao's hand.

Wen Qiao pinched the divine tree seed, picked up the two pitiful furry balls, and stroked them. Then she tried to channel her primordial spirit power into the seed.

Like the lotus seed of the Spirit Cleansing Water Lotus, the primordial spirit power disappeared without any response, and the divine tree seed remained quiet.

With an example before her, Wen Qiao wasn't anxious. She examined the seed and dug a small hole next to the divine tree, placing the seed inside.

Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun came over to watch. This time, they didn't dare treat the seed as something edible, lest it hit them again.

True to being a divine tree's seed, its hardness was probably beyond even an imperial-level beast's endurance.

Wen Qiao took out a jade bottle. When the bottle opened, the sudden, heart-palpitating aura made the two furry balls stand on end, and they quickly jumped onto Wen Qiao's shoulders, clinging tightly to her neck, staring fearfully at the water from the Yin and Yang Spring.

Ignoring the two beasts scared by the Yin and Yang Spring water, Wen Qiao slowly poured the water into the soil.

The black and white water fell into the soil, watering the divine tree seed.

There was a lot of Yin and Yang Spring water in the bottle. Ning Yuzhou had filled a large bottle for Wen Qiao to bring over. Worried there wouldn't be enough, she poured it all into the soil, quickly submerging the seed.

After pouring all the Yin and Yang Spring water, Wen Qiao squatted there, watching the water and the divine tree seed in the pit.

After an unknown amount of time, the level of the still Yin and Yang Spring water suddenly dropped visibly. It looked like the water was seeping into the soil and disappearing, but in Wen Qiao's perception, the divine tree seed was greedily absorbing the Yin and Yang Spring water.

A smile appeared on Wen Qiao's face.

Yin and Yang Spring water could nurture life, representing vitality and capable of nurturing all things.

When she obtained the Yin and Yang Spring water in the space beneath the deep sea, Ning Yuzhou had said that it could nurture treasures that had long vanished, and the divine tree naturally belonged to such treasures, capable of nurturing the divine tree seed.

Given her current cultivation, trying to nurture such high-grade spiritual objects was a hopeless dream.

Fortunately, they had the Yin and Yang Spring water; otherwise, even if they found the divine tree seed, waiting for it to take root and grow to suppress the evil spirits of the Heavenly Origin would take countless years.

By then, the Flying Star Continent might already be destroyed.

Time was running out, so they had to take a shortcut.

After absorbing enough Yin and Yang Spring water, the divine tree seed emitted brighter white light, and the pure aura of the divine tree became even more intense.

Wen Qiao sensed something and looked up, noticing that the absolute domain around them seemed to solidify further.

"Hisss!"

Wen Tutu let out a loud hiss. Following its sound, Wen Qiao saw countless monsters gathering outside the absolute domain in the sea of blood. They surrounded the absolute domain, extending long twisted claws, continuously attacking the barrier, as if trying to break through it.

Wen Qiao glanced briefly and returned her focus to the divine tree seed in the pit.

After a while, she took a deep breath, placed honey fat and spirit replenishing pills nearby, prepared herself, and began to nurture the divine tree seed.

The divine tree seed, having absorbed enough Yin and Yang Spring water, continuously devoured the primordial spirit power she channeled. No matter how much she sent, it absorbed it all. Gradually, the seed went from passively absorbing her primordial spirit power to actively devouring it. Wen Qiao almost got drained dry and quickly grabbed the honey fat and spirit replenishing pills to replenish her spirit power.

Wen Qiao's face gradually turned pale, looking as if she might be drained at any moment. The speed at which she consumed honey fat and spirit replenishing pills to replenish her primordial spirit power couldn't keep up with the seed's absorption rate.

Although she knew nurturing a divine tree wouldn't be easy, she hadn't expected its absorption to be so terrifying even after drinking the Yin and Yang Spring water. But now, she couldn't stop and could only try her best to support herself, hoping to nurture the divine tree seed before she was drained.

Seeing Wen Qiao's condition, Wen Guangun and Wen Tutu were worried and couldn't help calling out.

Wen Qiao had no time to pay attention to them, focusing on the seed that absorbed her primordial spirit power like a bottomless pit. Gradually, she could sense its emotions, constantly conveying a single thought: More! More! Need more!

Wen Qiao: "…"

Any more and she would be drained dry!

No, she was already almost drained by it.

The exhaustion of thirty-six spirit nodes, without any yuan spirit force to replenish her, left her body extremely weak and her mind hazy. In the end, she could only rely on sheer willpower to hold on.

After an unknown amount of time, a very faint sound echoed, as if something was breaking through its shell.

Wen Qiao collapsed softly.

The two beasts, seeing her fall, were so frightened that their fur stood on end. They quickly rushed to her side, holding the remaining honey fat and trying to stuff it into her mouth while making urgent sounds.

In the nearby pit, a seed rapidly took root and sprouted. Its roots delved deep into the soil, and its branches grew upward. From a single seed, it transformed into a small sapling, then into a tree. The fresh and harmonious aura of the divine wood quickly spread throughout the space, replacing the old domain with its absolute realm.

The divine wood's aura expanded beyond the absolute realm, clearing away the monsters surrounding it.

Those monsters let out piercing shrieks and, unable to escape, were reduced to nothingness under the divine wood's cleansing aura.

The bloodwater surrounding the absolute realm began to recede.

Wen Qiao knew none of this; she had fallen into a coma, and her nearly collapsing body began to change under the nurturing aura of the divine wood, her flesh receiving nourishment.

Unbeknownst to her, the human figure on the ground disappeared, replaced by a tender green sapling.

Wen Tutu and Wen Guangun stared dumbfounded at her transformation into a small sapling, finally noticing the changes in the space around them.

They turned to look and, upon seeing the still-growing divine tree, their faces showed shock. They could only stand beside the small sapling, watching the newly born divine tree thrive amidst the murky sea of blood.

***

Half a month had passed since Wen Qiao left.

During this half month, the number of monsters in the blood sea increased, and their strength grew stronger. The cultivators guarding the array suffered increasing casualties from their attacks.

This wasn't even the worst situation; what truly worried them was the change in the Yushui Swamp.

The Yushui Swamp had completely transformed into a blood miasma wasteland. The mist at the entrance had become thick and ominous blood fog, which churned constantly, attacking and eroding the evil-suppressing talisman array and the spirit purification grand array.

Every time they saw the flickering spiritual light of the two grand arrays, they couldn't help but observe closely, noticing that the light was growing dimmer, knowing that they would soon be unable to withstand the monsters from the blood miasma wasteland.

Everyone was deeply worried and couldn't help but go ask Su Wangling and Qiao Leshan about their plans.

Qiao Leshan did not explain, continuing to lead the disciples of Feixian Island in slaying the monsters attacking the defensive grand array.

Su Wangling initially remained silent until Tu Liang, covered in blood and with bloodshot eyes, asked him sharply, "Young Master Su, please tell us clearly, what is happening in Tianzhi Plain?"

The other cultivators weren't faring much better than Tu Liang.

Since the anomaly in the Yushui Swamp began, a month had passed.

For this entire month, they fought day and night. Even with the defensive grand array allowing them to rest, who could truly rest in such circumstances? They fought, got injured, healed, and fought again—this cycle repeated endlessly. Watching their companions die one by one filled them with despair.

Originally, there were over ten thousand people here; now, only about six thousand remained.

While this number was still considerable, the fact that so many had perished despite the protective grand array indicated how dire the situation was.

They didn't know what Qiao Leshan and Su Wangling had planned. This endless fighting without hope or rescue was driving them mad.

Su Wangling looked at Tu Liang and then at the cultivators around him, speaking slowly, "Now, the entire Tianzhi Plain has been engulfed by the blood sea, leaving only the space we are defending."

"What?"

Hearing his words, everyone present wore expressions of disbelief.

Tu Liang hurriedly asked, "What about the others? Those who were elsewhere in Tianzhi Plain..."

"They have likely been swallowed by the blood sea," Su Wangling said calmly.

Everyone's expressions were blank, filled with sorrow.

When news of the divine wood's appearance in Tianzhi Plain spread secretly, countless cultivators rushed there, including their friends and family. Not everyone was here; many more were searching for the divine wood elsewhere in Tianzhi Plain, and those who came to Yushui Swamp were just a small part.

They had clung to a shred of hope that perhaps only this place was submerged by the blood sea, while the rest of Tianzhi Plain remained unaffected, and those in Tianzhi Plain were safe.

Now, Su Wangling's words shattered their hopes.

Tu Liang, with bloodshot eyes, looked terrifying and shouted, "What about the ancestors in the Yuan Emperor realm? Why haven't they come yet?"

"They won't come," Su Wangling said calmly.

"Impossible!" Tu Liang exclaimed.

But Su Wangling's expression was too calm, a calmness that seemed to see everything, causing all the cultivators present to panic.

Su Wangling explained, "After the blood sea engulfed Tianzhi Plain, the entrance to Tianzhi Plain closed. Even if the ancestors know the situation, they cannot enter unless the entrance reopens."

To reopen the entrance to Tianzhi Plain, there were only two possibilities: either the monsters within Tianzhi Plain are suppressed, restoring peace, and the entrance naturally reopens; or the monsters forcibly break through Tianzhi Plain's seal, escaping to destroy the Flying Star Continent.

Realizing Su Wangling's meaning, everyone felt a sense of despair.

Initially, they thought that if they held on, the ancestors in the Yuan Emperor realm would arrive, ensuring their safe departure from Tianzhi Plain. But after holding on for a month, not only had no rescue arrived, but the situation in Tianzhi Plain had worsened.

Were they really going to die here?

Tu Liang quickly regained his composure.

As a wandering cultivator, he had climbed to his position in the Wandering Cultivator Alliance, and he was not easily overwhelmed. He was always calmer and more rational than others when faced with crises, and his momentary loss of control was fleeting.

Tu Liang stared at the calm Su Wangling and suddenly asked, "Where is Miss Wen who left half a month ago?"

"I don't know."

"Is she dead?"

"I don't know."

"......"

Seeing that Su Wangling knew nothing about his questions, Tu Liang felt somewhat stifled.

Fortunately, just as he was about to burst and almost couldn't resist acting against the young master of Linglong Fort, a clear and elegant voice sounded: "Chui is still alive."

Tu Liang turned his head and saw Ning Yuzhou's handsome and noble face. This face was exceptionally striking, even in a cultivation world filled with many handsome men and beautiful women, his appearance was remarkable enough to catch anyone's eye.

Tu Liang had complex feelings about this person, but he had to admire his abilities. Although his cultivation wasn't high, the breadth and depth of his knowledge were unparalleled, making him a formidable figure. Most daunting was his incredible ability to make friends; almost all the top disciples from the major forces across the Flying Star Continent had direct or indirect ties with him. Anyone who dared to harm him would be facing off against those top disciples of the Flying Star Continent.

As Tu Liang pondered why a female cultivator from the Yuan Kong realm could survive for half a month in the Blood Sea, several screams suddenly echoed, followed by an overwhelming pressure spreading out.

Tu Liang's pupils constricted as he turned in horror and saw the Evil Suppression Talisman Array and the Purifying Spirit Great Array at the entrance of Yu Shui Ze broken.

The cultivators originally guarding there were swallowed by the blood mist, their bodies turning into desiccated corpses as if their life essence had been drained, maintaining expressions of terror as they fell into the surging blood mist.

"Not good, the monsters from the Blood Miasma Swamp are coming out!"

Someone screamed in alarm and turned to run in the opposite direction of Yu Shui Ze.

However, with the Blood Sea everywhere, where could they escape? As they fled into the Blood Sea, they were dragged under by the monsters, disappearing instantly.

Qiao Leshan and Su Wangling's faces changed slightly. Although they knew the talisman array and the Purifying Spirit Great Array couldn't hold back the monsters from the Blood Miasma Swamp, they didn't expect them to appear so quickly.

Just as everyone was in despair, Ning Yuzhou took out something and threw it towards the entrance of Yu Shui Ze.