That day, Chu Xuan t with Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji. Shang Xingchen brought several unsettling pieces of news. The first was that the tree roots had beco even more nurous.
At first, they had only appeared around the city, but now they were visible everywhere. Although the newly sprouted roots were still weak, they grew at an astonishing rate. In just a day or two of neglect, they would beco incredibly tough. Even the spells of Nascent Soul cultivators could not harm them in the slightest. The second piece of news was even more disturbing: these roots had begun to control corpses.
"I specifically brought one with ," Shang Xingchen said gravely, tossing sothing onto the ground.
Chu Xuan focused on it.
It was pitch black, small in size, and covered in scales—Nether Crocodile. However, this Nether Crocodile had a massive sword wound across its waist, splitting its body clean in two. Yet now, a thin root had begun to wriggle through the cut, sewing the two halves back together like a fine thread.
The dead Nether Crocodile stood again, revived by the roots. Its aggression was even fiercer than before. No sooner had it landed than it lunged viciously at Wei Ji.
Shang Xingchen was prepared. With a sharp pull of his chain, he tightly bound the strange creature.
"This is what other cultivators have seen too," Shang Xingchen said in a low voice. "They call these creatures 'Wood Corpses.' These Wood Corpses are highly aggressive, far surpassing ancient beasts in their bloodlust. They attack without hesitation, showing no fear of anyone."
Chu Xuan nodded slightly.
This must be the work of the Taotie Tree controlling the corpses. Its purpose… perhaps to use these Wood Corpses to absorb more nutrients.
The Nether Crocodile, now under the control of the Taotie Tree, had only the strength of a Golden Core cultivator in its resurrected form. But as ti passed, its power might grow stronger.
Shang Xingchen raised three fingers and spoke somberly. "The third piece of news: Heaven-Three City has vanished, and a pitch-black palace now stands in its place."
Wei Ji added, "We went to observe from a distance. The palace exudes a sinister aura—its presence is unmistakably linked to the demonic path."
Chu Xuan's mind wandered as he considered their words. Recalling the events in Heaven-Three City, a sense of lingering dread filled him. He had no doubt that this sudden appearance of the Dark Palace was connected to the old monster.
Wei Ji couldn't help but mutter, "That Dark Palace—it's clearly the work of a demonic giant. If we could find sothing inside…"
He displayed a look of longing.
The treasures left behind by demonic giants—be it techniques, secret arts, pills, talismans, or magic treasures—were all invaluable. Even the inheritance of the demonic path itself was a rare and precious find. How could he not be excited?
However, Shang Xingchen did not lose his composure. Even if there were treasures, one still needed the life to claim them. When the Nether Dao Sect's Ghost Palace erged, his elder brother, Shang Tianjue, had used this very tactic to absorb the souls and flesh of countless cultivators. As soone who had been through it, he would not rashly venture into an unknown place. Who knew whether they were walking into a treasure trove brimming with riches, or a blood-soaked mouth waiting to devour the unwary?
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"So, what about it, Sect Master? Will you go?" Wei Ji asked eagerly.
Chu Xuan shook his head. "I'm not skilled in combat spells. I won't be going."
Wei Ji was taken aback.
It's fine to lie to your buddies, but don't lie to yourself!
He couldn't help but ask again, "Really not going?"
Chu Xuan replied firmly, "Not going. I truly am not good at fighting."
Wei Ji's expression tightened in disbelief.
If you're not good at combat spells, what does that make ? Should I just find a rock and bash my head into it?
Shang Xingchen couldn't help but study Chu Xuan for a mont, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He suddenly spoke. "Both Heavenly River True Master and Tian Mozi Daoist plan to enter that Dark Palace. We shouldn't get involved. Better not end up as stepping stones for them. Fellow Daoist Wei, you shouldn't go either."
Wei Ji was taken aback. "But I want to go! I'm not like the two of you—my talent isn't as good. If I want to break through to Deity Transformation, I need to seize every opportunity."
Shang Xingchen shook his head. "You cannot go. I fear you will die inside."
Wei Ji stared, stunned.
Why won't you go, but still won't let go? Afraid I'll die inside? Since when did you suddenly care so much about ? How oddly heartwarming.
Shang Xingchen said calmly, "If you die in there, who will repair the damaged puppets?"
Wei Ji sighed. "…I knew it."
In the end, after Shang Xingchen persuaded him with both reasoning and emotion, Wei Ji reluctantly chose to stay behind at the base, avoiding this perilous venture.
The dium Spiritual Stone Mine.
"Senior Brother, so many people are going—shouldn't we join them?" Kang Jia asked, puzzled.
Shangguan He shook his head firmly. "We absolutely cannot go."
Kang Jia couldn't help but speak up. "That Dark Palace is clearly the work of a demonic giant. If a demonic cultivator gets their hands on the inheritance, won't we be in danger? Heavenly River True Master entered that palace for the very reason—he couldn't let the demonic cultivators take the legacy, even if he couldn't claim it himself."
Shangguan He shook his head again. "Rember this: only those who know how to conceal their brilliance and bide their ti can survive until the very end. We don't go now, but that doesn't an we won't go in the future."
Kang Jia blinked, seemingly understanding his words.
Shangguan He continued, "However, others may have the sa thoughts, so we must act. We must pretend that we're really not going."
...
The Cold Iron Wood Forest.
"I plan to venture into it. Who knows, there may be so gains. If I can obtain a Deity Transformation spiritual item, this life will have a real chance at the Deity Transformation path! Fellow Daoist Xin, would you be willing to join ?"
Xiao Xian's eyes glead.
Xin Changqing shifted uneasily, finally offering a wry smile. "I have always loved the Way of Tea, not combat. I will not go. If Fellow Daoist Xiao survives, I will lend you a helping hand."
Xiao Xian nodded solemnly. "Alright, I will go!"
...
The sa scene unfolded across the Heavenly tal Battlefield. So were eager to go; others were reluctant. So truly did not wish to go. Others pretended reluctance, secretly hoping to reap the rewards from the back.
However, both the Deity Transformation cultivators—Heavenly River True Master and Tian Mozi Daoist—had coincidentally entered the Dark Palace. For them, maintaining their Deity Transformation cultivation was becoming increasingly difficult. If they fell back to the Nascent Soul stage, they would be no different from other cultivators.
At that point, there would be no trace left of their Deity Transformation aura. They held vast amounts of pills, spiritual stones, and treasures—things that would surely attract the covetous eyes of other cultivators, resulting in coordinated attacks.
The sudden appearance of the Dark Palace provided them with an opportunity. An opportunity to continue suppressing other Nascent Soul cultivators. Moreover, they dared not gamble on whether the Dark Palace harbored an opportunity or a risk.
What if it was an opportunity, and other cultivators seized it? That would be a huge loss for them. What if it was a risk? As Deity Transformation cultivators, they were less likely to be caught in danger compared to Nascent Soul cultivators. All these factors combined, forcing them to go.
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