Free Web NovelChapter 1257: Chapter 960: Extreme East Secret Realm (Part 2)
However, from time to time, one or two Immortal Ships would appear, briefly brushing past and then being left behind, disappearing from sight in a matter of moments. Occasionally, there could be seen several sword fliers, like meteors vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Yuan heard this and looked over, just in time to see a small Immortal Ship appear not far away, only to be overtaken—a process that lasted merely a few seconds.
"Maybe they have something urgent." Seeing no threat, he waved his hand to signal not to pay attention and continued with his paper crafts.
Since the master indicated there was no need to pay attention, Huo Jun ignored it as well. Thinking of the trial he was about to face, he felt a bit uneasy, silently wishing for a smooth practice!
One by one, the pursuits of the Immortal Ships failed, leaving many cultivators in the group evidently anxious.
"Where did it go?"
"Does anyone have new information on the ’monster’?"
"Where was it last seen, specifically?"
......
"Stop chasing. I saw with my own eyes the ’monster’ flying into the Death Forest."
With these words, the large, lively group fell silent for a moment.
As flying artifact enthusiasts, they loved to study all flying magical artifacts and Magical Treasures, naturally indulging in soaring freely around the world.
Thus, they explored the vast Wilderness World, where there are four forbidden zones, namely: the vast Ice Mountains in the Land of the Extreme North.
It’s intensely cold there, devoid of life and sparse in Spiritual Energy. Even the best-crafted Immortal Ship risks damage if it stays too long. Few cultivators can withstand the bone-chilling cold, and even with Magical Treasures, they cannot stay for long; otherwise, the treasures would freeze and be damaged, posing life-threatening risks at any moment;
The Death Forest in the Land of the Far East seems cut off from the world, with not a hint of green life amidst the bizarre dead trees. There are no birds or beasts, and even Spiritual Energy is almost absent, leaving only a thick sense of death and absolute silence.
Whether driving an Immortal Ship or using Sword Flight, cultivators easily lose their way upon entering. Moreover, Spiritual Power within their body, artifacts, and treasures quickly gets depleted, and those lacking strength will find themselves out of Spiritual Power with no way to replenish it, facing death and disintegration therein;
The sea of molten rock in the Land of the Far South is extremely hot, flowing with molten rock everywhere, accompanied by toxic fumes that fill the air. Staying inside for too long will damage even the best Immortal Ship or flying sword. Moreover, there is the risk of losing direction due to the scorching toxic fumes, and teleportation artifacts can’t be used. It’s said many cultivators have perished there;
The Ancient Battlefield in the Land of the Extreme West.
Even without walking into it, standing at the edge, one can faintly hear the sounds of slaughter still echoing across the battlefield.
Amidst the clashing blades and sword shadows mingled with murderous intent, lower realm cultivators standing on the edge for too long will have their minds affected and scrambled. If they don’t leave in time, the murderous intent will invade their hearts, trapping them in an illusion realm, battling imagined enemies until they are exhausted unto death.
There were rumors that the Ancient Battlefield was littered with treasures, and some overly confident Demon Cultivators tried to fly in to find them, but they all never returned.
"I heard that the last time the ’monster’ appeared, it disappeared heading north into the Northern Domain, could it have flown into the glaciers of the Land of the Extreme North?"
"Hiss! If that’s the case, it’s truly terrifying! Anyway, this time there were sightings of it entering the Death Forest, meaning the ’monster’ appears to conquer the four forbidden zones?"
"No wonder it flies so fast, with such a strange appearance, without any Spiritual Power fluctuations!"
"What’s the point of just conquering them, without any word from the fellow cultivator driving the ’monster’? Perhaps... it’s going treasure hunting?"
"Speaking of which, I remember an ancient tale from the Withered Wood City!
The Withered Wood City is the closest ancient city to the Death Forest, with various tales about the vast forest behind it. Among them, one legend says there’s a Supreme Treasure in the forest; acquiring it grants Ascension! It’s said that obtaining the treasure will gradually revive the Death Forest, transforming it into a Spiritual Energy rich Immortal Forest!"
"You listen to those myth stories. If there truly were a treasure that let people Ascend, surely Spiritual Energy would overflow, bathing the whole forest in light, turning it into a Holy Land for cultivation. What kind of treasure can turn a perfectly fine forest into a dead, withered place?"
"Hey, isn’t there a fellow cultivator living in Li Sha City on the other side of the Death Forest, opposite Withered Wood City? Keep an eye out, see if the ’monster’ is merely passing by and might fly through your side after crossing the forest!"
"Maybe it’s just passing through, let’s wait and see..."
......
The wait went on without a glimpse of the free Gundam because, as soon as Jiang Yuan brought Huo Jun to an open area within the forest, he immediately packed away the paper Gundam.
"How is this place so..." Huo Jun, upon landing, was dumbfounded by the sight—an endless forest of dead trees shrouded in a pervasive aura of death, devoid of the slightest bit of Spiritual Energy, with no sign of life at all.
Thinking about undertaking his trial in this place left him feeling quite uneasy, "What kind of place is this? No Spiritual Energy at all!"
"This place corresponds to the Azure Dragon of the east in the Wilderness World; it should have been a place full of life and abundant in Spiritual Energy. Unfortunately, the absence of the Four Symbols Divine Beast has left the Wilderness World on the verge of collapse, beset by Outer Heaven Demons and plagued by Evil Cultivators, causing obstruction in the workings of this world.
As the future Azure Dragon, it’s your responsibility to clear this obstruction. Once life begins to flourish again, and Spiritual Energy gushes forth, it will benefit the entire Wilderness World."
Huo Jun listened in a daze. Although he had mastered the art of life flourishing after refining the Cyan Dragon Divine Power, he was still at a loss on how to apply it.
Looking around at the withered trees, he wondered if he needed to infuse life into the whole forest.
"It’s just up ahead, we need to make haste." Following a flashing giant blue arrow, Jiang Yuan led him through the dense, dried-out forest.
The further they walked, the colder Huo Jun felt, thinking that becoming the Divine Beast Azure Dragon might not be so easy. The desolation of the place left almost no Spiritual Energy, with death constantly present, consuming substantial energy and Spiritual Power just to resist its omnipresence.
The death aura could also harm the physical body; even with an abundance of Spirit Stone to replenish Spiritual Power, daily injuries were to be expected during the trial.
They wandered in the forest for several minutes until they finally spotted a towering tree with an unmeasurable trunk. Though dead now, its vast branches would have overshadowed the winter sky when alive.
Near the base of this immense dead tree was a chasm resembling a beast’s mouth.
[Withered Wood Hole: The entrance to the blocked Secret Realm of the Far East, allowing only task-related life forms to enter on their own.]
"Here we are." Jiang Yuan motioned with his hand.
Huo Jun turned two shades paler, feeling the dense death aura clearly emanating from within the tree hollow! In other words, the death aura inside the hollow was even stronger, creating a harsher trial environment!
Faced with no other choice, to ascend and become the Divine Beast Azure Dragon, he had to grit his teeth and persevere. He took a deep breath and stepped forward to follow his master.
Seconds after entering the tree hollow, a transportation power sent them to their destination.
[Entering the Extreme East Secret Realm]
[Extreme East Secret Realm: One of the Wilderness World Heaven and Earth Four Secret Realms, belonging to the Azure Dragon of the East. The originally abundant life and Spiritual Energy that should have emanated from here are obstructed by the world’s inconsistent operations. It needs the future Azure Dragon’s personal nourishment of the Tree of Life to clear the obstruction, reviving the Tree of Life, causing it to flourish with lively vigor continuously.]
[Would you like to consume one hundred thousand Spirit Stones to establish a Teleportation Array here?]
"Master, look, it appears to be a tree?" Huo Jun knew where he had been transported to, and when he opened his eyes and saw it, his heart skipped a beat.
Before him stood a tree somewhat similar to the one outside, its essence more sacred and grand, with a height reaching beyond sight.
The Cyan Dragon Divine Power he had refined within him stirred restlessly, indicating a deep connection between him and the tree.
Jiang Yuan, familiar with the place, first set up the Teleportation Array and then configured it to be visible and usable by his contracted pet, Huo Jun, so he could easily return home to rest anytime.
"This is your task: proficiently use the Cyan Dragon Divine Power to rejuvenate this Tree of Life intimately connected with the Wilderness World. As it flourishes and revives, death aura will diminish, and the surrounding forest will begin to thrive again." He gestured toward the simple Teleportation Array, reminding, "I built a dedicated Teleportation Array for you, so during your trial, if you get tired, you can return home to rest at any time."
Moved, Huo Jun bowed immediately to express his thanks.
Then, with complex emotions, he stepped forward, placing his right hand on the withered tree, closed his eyes, and channeled Spiritual Power to dispel the death aura from the Tree of Life, attempting to nourish and revive it.
