Ou Yangming was startled. He flushed and returned, “Brothers, please forgive us. We encountered a small issue in the forest, so we ended up being late. I’m sorry to have made you worried.”
“Master Ou, you’re being too polite.” Xia Zizhen laughed out loud and continued after a pause, “Since you’re here, let’s continue our journey.”
“Brother Ou, you sound like you have a new destination in mind,” Ou Yangming said in a deep voice.
Xia Zizhen nodded seriously and replied to him, “Yes. We found a clue in the forest, so we’d like to explore a bigger place. Heh, I’m guessing that there’ll be more treasures there.”
Ou Yangming asked after a moment of hesitation, “Brother Xia, judging from your tone, it seems like you know what exactly this secret realm is?”
“We only found a clue, but we can’t confirm if what I said is true.” Xia Zizhen grinned.
“Oh, what’s the clue. Can you let us know, Brother Xia?” Ou Yangming asked curiously.
He would not have asked about such secrecy so closely in other situations, but the situation was different at this moment. They entered the secret realm together, hence they ought to be working together. If Xia Zizhen and Poisonous Saber Gentleman insisted on keeping secrets from him, nobody would rebuke him if he parted ways with them.
Xia Zizhen pondered for a while and answered, “Since you’d like to know, Master Ou, there’s no need for us to hide it from you. That said, this is only a clue, and I’m only guessing based on it, so I can’t guarantee its legitimacy.”
“I understand.” Ou Yangming grinned.
“Master Ou, what do you think about the environment here?” Xia Zizhen asked abruptly.
Ou Yangming was slightly dumbfounded, but he answered seriously, “The environment here is excellent, and there are plenty of treasures here like never before.”
He believed that even the Humans’ Nine Great Sects in Danzhou altogether did not have such a secret realm.
Xia Zizhen nodded. “Yes. Haven’t you thought about where this land of treasures came from?”
Ou Yangming smiled bitterly. He might be able to make a guess if he was a local from the Spiritual Realm, but he was clueless.
‘How ill-informed and inexperienced,’ Xia Zizhen criticized internally as he twitched his mouth. Nevertheless, the young fellow might not be knowledgeable, but he was quite capable.
Xia Zizhen cleared his throat. He was no longer interested in keeping Ou Yangming in suspense, thus he asked, “Master Ou, have you heard of the Phoenixes?”
Ou Yangming’s heart tensed up. “This place is related to the Phoenixes?”
Even though it sounded like an alarmist talk, he believed it right away.
This was because his Military Fire was connected to the Phoenixes, and he sensed something calling out to him from deep inside the secret realm. In this case, the only explanation would be that the secret realm was affiliated with the Phoenixes indeed.
Despite that, Xia Zizhen shook his head and said, “Master Ou, the Phoenixes are divine creatures, so how can they be linked to this secret realm?” He suddenly paused and knitted his eyebrows, then he continued with a bitter smile, “But this realm can also be considered to have something to do with the Phoenixes.”
Ou Yangming frowned. He was puzzled because Xia Zizhen was contradicting himself
Poisonous Saber Gentleman cleared his throat and explained, “Master Ou, I’m sure you’ve heard about a legend—phoenixes don’t land where there aren’t treasures. Hehe, there’s only one thing that can be used to attract phoenixes.”
The young fellow was struck dumb. He later raised his eyebrows and exclaimed, “A Wutong Tree.”
“Yes, a Wutong Tree.” Xia Zizhen continued sternly, “If we guessed it right, there should be a living or half-alive Wutong Tree inside this secret realm, which is why plenty of treasures are produced here.”
“A Wutong Tree.” Ou Yangming took a deep breath. He was so in awe that it was indescribable.
Treasure land—this was certainly an undisputed treasure land. Given that many treasures could be found here, there must be a reason behind it.
When Ou Yangming linked the mysterious calling from the depths of the secret realm, he confirmed that there was indeed a Wutong Tree here.
Seeing how shocked Ou Yangming was, Xia Zizhen and Poisonous Saber Gentleman looked at each other and sneered.
They had initially planned to reveal the secret anyway because this was the only way to tempt casters by luring the greed out of them. Having said that, the casters would not know that such a covetous thought would be a sign of their road to death.
Xia Zizhen chuckled and suggested, “Master Ou, we found a clue about the Wutong Tree’s location, so why don’t you join us if you’re also interested?”
Ou Yangming looked deeply at him and responded, “Okay. Please, Brother Xia.”
Following that, Xia Zizhen retrieved a queer round compass, and he carefully took out some powder.
Ou Yangming’s eyelids could not help but flicker when the powder was brought out. He suddenly had an incredibly strange thought, by which he wanted to jump over to suck the powder.
He immediately suppressed the thought and did not express it, but the twisted thought truly could not be put into words.
‘Why am I interested in devouring the powder? What exactly is happening?’
Xia Zizhen and Poisonous Saber Gentleman did not notice the instant change that happened to Ou Yangming as they were mostly focused on the compass in front of them.
Once the powder entered the compass, the indicator on it shook, where the thin needle shifted clockwise bit by bit.
Poisonous Saber Gentleman and Xia Zizhen were highly-spirited. Beads of sweat could even be seen on their foreheads.
Based on their cultivation bases, this could not happen to them. The only way to explain this would be they were as nervous as Ou Yangming was.
At last, the indicator stopped at a certain spot.
Xia Zizhen slapped his thigh and laughed. “Alright, it’s done.”
Poisonous Saber Gentleman curled his lips into a smile too. He was finally relieved.
This identifying method was found from an ancient book in the Beast King Sect, but they were not confident about succeeding. Therefore, they felt like cheering madly when it worked.
Ou Yangming’s eyes gleamed, and he looked in the pointer’s direction.
‘Isn’t that direction where something deep inside this secret realm is calling out to me…
‘If they find out that the bearing that they tried so hard to determine is a place where I sensed the moment I entered this realm, I wonder what they’ll think.
‘In any c place that I sensed the moment I entered this realm, I wonder what they’ll think.
‘In any case, I’ll keep this to myself. There’s no need to tell them.’
With Xia Zizhen in the lead, everyone sped toward an unknown place.
Chapter 636 - Blood Sacrifice
The deeper Ou Yangming and the others went into the secret realm, the more they sensed an invisible power.
It seemed to be a faintly discernible power, which could not be sensed by normal people. Nonetheless, Ou Yangming and his companions were not only Spiritualists, but they were also careful and did not relax at all in the secret realm. Given the circumstances, they would notice even the slightest change, let alone the strange feeling that appeared as they kept going deeper inside.
Ou Yangming slowly had an odd look in his eyes because he noticed that while Xia Zizhen and the others were advancing, there was a subtle change in the direction that they were heading in.
The compass was definitely a treasure, which could be used to roughly locate the Wutong Tree by using a plant’s powder with it.
Even so, the direction that the compass was pointing in seemed to have deviated as they moved forward.
The deviation was small, and it looked like there was only a tiny change, but they were simil
ar to a lonely boat floating on a vast ocean as they walked in the secret realm; the smallest change in the angle of their direction could lead to a huge difference in their final destination.
Ou Yangming looked to the side and hesitated for a while before he blurted.
“Brother Xia, please stop.”
Xia Zizhen was stunned. He stopped and asked, “Master Ou, what is it?”
Ou Yangming cleared his throat and asked, “Brother Xia, are you going in the right direction?”
Xia Zizhen could not help but laugh. “Master Ou, don’t worry. I found this technique from an ancient book in my sect, so it’s reliable for sure.”
“But…” Ou Yangming dragged his tone and slowly continued, “Why do I feel like we’re taking the wrong way?” He looked in the right direction and said, “I feel like this is the path that’ll lead us to our destination.”
Poisonous Saber Gentleman and Xia Zizhen were surprised. They immediately recalled Ou Yangming’s performance before they entered the spiritual realm.
Back then, they did not reveal the realm’s entrance, but Ou Yangming still found it right away.
Due to the prior example, they dared not refute him at the moment.
Poisonous Saber Gentleman suggested after some thought, “Zizhen, try it again.”
Xia Zizhen was reluctant but after glancing at Poisonous Saber Gentleman and Ou Yangming, he gritted his teeth and retrieved some powder again, then he gently sprinkled them on the compass.
The compass’ indicator acted like a living being that had just been given stimulant. It shook intensely and only stopped slowly after some time, then it shifted bit by bit.
Seeing as the needle began to move. Xia Zizhen and Poisonous Saber Gentleman could not help but look at each other with ghastly looks on their faces.
After a brief moment, the needle finally stabilized. It pointed in the direction that Ou Yangming pointed at.
Xia Zizhen and Poisonous Saber Gentleman suddenly turned to look at Ou Yangming strangely and in disbelief. They wondered, ‘How did this young fella do it?’
They were not casters and did not know how exactly capable casters were, but they were slightly informed. If every caster could do what Ou Yangming did, they would be too powerful.
Ou Yangming chuckled and explained, “I learned a secret technique in the past, so I have a special trick to identify direction.”
The 2 men came to a sudden realization, and they somewhat believed what Ou Yangming said. After all, casters had various unpredictable tricks, and they could not be guessed by ordinary people. Although what the young fellow did was quite incredible, perhaps this would be the only explanation for it.
As much as they racked their brains, they would not have imagined that Ou Yangming actually had an ambiguous relationship with the Phoenixes.
“Alright, since you have such an ability, Master Ou, we don’t need to waste this anymore.” Xia Zizhen laughed and said, “Please lead the way.”
Ou Yangming grinned and asked, “Brother Xia, may I ask what that powder is?”
Xia Zizhen’s face darkened slightly, but he answered, “It’s some debris of the Wutong Tree, and we found it just now. The debris is useless but if used together with certain pieces of equipment, they can locate its roots.
The young fellow nodded and thought, ‘What a pity.’
If he knew they entered the forest for the Wutong Tree’s powder, he would have secretly followed them to take a look.
At the end of the day, since Ou Yangming possessed a fire from the Phoenixes, he was unquestionably the most attracted by a Wutong Tree. He longed for it 100 times more than Xia Zizhen and Poisonous Saber Gentleman did.
After a brief discussion, Ou Yangming replaced Xia Zizhen as the guide. He identified the right direction and walked directly in it.
The 2 men were relieved as Ou Yangming did not forcibly ask for the Wutong Tree’s powder. While the powder was scraped from a dead object, it was still priceless. They had only used it to guide them as they were helpless, and it was certainly a waste of a natural resource.
Any bit of it that they could save counted.
As Ou Yangming walked and crossed a small mountain, everyone’s eyes lit up.
There was an oasis behind the mountain, and it covered such an extensive range that it simply exceeded that of the lake and the forest from before.
They could not see the end of the oasis from the top of the mountain, by which they could only see dense leaves and branches that looked like they could cover the whole universe.
“Is… Is this a tree?” Xia Zizhen’s eyes gleamed.
Poisonous Saber Gentleman looked carefully and responded, “It looks like it.”
They looked at each other and burst out laughing as though they were the only ones present.
“Found… Found it.” Xia Zizhen was wild with joy, and he cheered loudly, “We found it.”
Poisonous Saber Gentleman was thrilled too. They invested a lot of energy to explore the secret realm again, and they almost used up their life savings for pieces of equipment for the advanced. Now that they finally found their destination, they released their accumulated emotions, such that even the steady Poisonous Saber Gentleman went out of control.
Ou Yangming smiled and asked, “Gentlemen, you didn’t invite me here to just show you the direction, did you?”
Xia Zizhen and Poisonous Saber Gentleman were dumbfounded. They instantly curbed their excitement.
“Hehe, Master Ou, it was a surprise that you were able to guide us here.” Xia Zizhen sighed and noted, “When we found this secret realm, we received a piece of news—one will naturally be obstructed by a guarding power when one gets close to the Wutong Tree, and the only way to get rid of the power is to communicate with it through mental power.” He continued in a higher tone, “As long as one’s acknowledged by the power, one can approach the Wutong Tree.”
Ou Yangming nodded and asked, “What are the benefits of getting close to the Wutong Tree?”
Xia Zizhen was startled, and he smiled bitterly. “I have no idea, but since the Phoenixes yearn for it too, we’ll naturally receive great benefits too.”
“Yes. Master Ou, think about the blessed land that we went before this,” Poisonous Saber Gentleman spoke impatiently, “Apart from poisonous pills, there are also spiritual herbs to be discovered there. The blessed land was only formed by a hint of the Wutong Tree’s aura, so the tree itself will surely be extraordinary.”
Ou Yangming looked ahead quietly then asked, “You’re asking me to go there to… Communicate with the tree?”
“Master Ou, a Wutong Tree is also known as the universe’s giant tree. Wherever it’s at, it’ll draw the universe’s power and transform into a secret realm. The longer the secret realm exists, the treasure land becomes more amazing, and the Wutong Tree on the land will gain spiritual nature,” Xia Zizhen quickly responded. He struck his chest and added, “Human martial artists like us don’t have sufficient mental power to communicate with it, but you’re different…”
Ou Yangming twitched his mouth. He would be dubious if Xia Zizhen said this several days ago but after witnessing the small energy centipede’s birth, he knew that there were many things in this world that he could not understand due to a lack of knowledge.
Since the small centipede, which was an energy body, could become a spiritual being, why could the Wutong Tree, which had probably lived for over 10,000 years, not evolve into a more powerful life form?
The young fellow took a few steps forward and stopped, then he turned around and asked, “Aren’t you here now? Why don’t you go over?”
Xia Zizhen smiled bitterly. “Master Ou, you’ll have to communicate with it and be acknowledged before we can go down there. If not, even all of us together won’t be its match.”
Ou Yangming raised its eyebrows. If the oasis was really the Wutong Tree’s full appearance, it meant that its size was definitely unbelievable. Even if Multi-armed King Kong and the Six-armed
Giant Beast were present, they would be far from it.
A monster of such a level probably could not be resisted by human power. Even if a Venerable One were to come, one would be helpless.
“Brother Xia, will it be dangerous for me to have a spiritual communication with this thing?” Ou Yangming asked leisurely.
Xia Zizhen shrugged and answered, “According to historical records, people that communicated with a Wutong Tree said that it’s kind and won’t kill innocents. Unless you’re trying to uproot it, it won’t intervene.”
Ou Yangming nodded and said, “Okay. If that’s the case, I’ll be going first.”
He flashed toward the direction where the boundless oasis was at, and Big Yellow followed suit.
On the other hand, Fat Antelope and the Silver Ridge Giant Leopard were flustered. They naturally wanted to follow the young fellow, but they somehow sensed an enormous pressure when they arrived here. The more they went forward, the stronger the power, which prevented them from advancing.
Xia Zizhen and Poisonous Saber Gentleman exchanged glances. They secretly prepared for a sneak attack.
Once Ou Yangming died, they would make a move to kill the other people—no, beasts.
‘How dare the weakest caster think about communicating with such a humongous living being? How ridiculous! He’s simply courting his death,’ they thought.
They had not tricked Ou Yangming here to serve him as a master, but to use him for a caster’s blood sacrifice.
Chapter 637 - Tree Person
Ou Yangming walked faster. Similar to his heartbeat at the moment, his speed reached a new height.
After seeing the boundless oasis, he understood that it was the caller indeed. What corresponded with the oasis was his mental power, flesh, and blood.
It was worth noting that his Military Fire no longer merely existed as it became one with his body and mind. Before this, the young fellow only gained a certain power and inheritance when he obtained the fire but at this moment, the inheritance had incorporated into his blood vessels.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 375
