Chapter 434: The Secret of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map
"If you can produce a cultivation technique that surpasses the Divine Fall Sutra, I would naturally be happy to accept it."
Zhang Ruochen walked over with the leisurely grace of a stroll through a courtyard.
Xiao Hei, of course, could not produce a technique manual superior to the Divine Fall Sutra, so he stopped pressing the matter of taking Zhang Ruochen as a disciple. He said flatly, "You came to find me. There must be something you need, right?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded and got straight to the point. "I want to ask you about something—the Cosmic Divine Wood Map."
As if he had anticipated this long ago, Xiao Hei followed Zhang Ruochen out, leaving only Guo Guo and the Demon Ape in the courtyard to continue contemplating the cultivation technique they had just obtained.
Entering the room, Zhang Ruochen activated the inscription runes of a formation. With a whoosh, a layer of white light emerged, immediately enveloping the room.
The matters he intended to discuss with Xiao Hei were extremely important, so he naturally had to be cautious to prevent any interested parties from overhearing.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "You should already know that the Cosmic Divine Wood Map absorbed a massive amount of Wood Spirit Origin Qi. I just want to know why. Why can the Cosmic Divine Wood Map absorb Wood Spirit Origin Qi?"
Xiao Hei rolled his eyes and said slowly, "You really want to know the answer? Hmph! Telling you won't hurt. Do you see that Sky-Connecting Divine Tree painted on the scroll?"
"Of course I see it."
Xiao Hei said, "The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree grows within the inner world of the scroll."
"How is that possible?" Zhang Ruochen refused to believe it.
Xiao Hei snorted coldly. "My true form is painted on the scroll, and my real body is sealed within the inner world of the scroll. The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree is painted on the scroll—why can't it grow in the inner world of the scroll?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Legend has it that the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was cut down by a fierce figure during the Middle Ages."
"Correct."
Xiao Hei nodded and continued, "However, Xumi Saint Monk dug up the roots of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree and transplanted them into the inner world of the scroll. Using great divine power, he caused the roots to regain vitality, rise from the ashes, and be reborn through nirvana. Over a million years, the roots of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree sprouted new shoots and have once again grown into a towering tree."
"Of course, that new sapling is still far from being comparable to the original Sky-Connecting Divine Tree. You see, the original Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was born in the Primordial Era and was the oldest living being in the Kunlun Realm."
Zhang Ruochen sensed another inconsistency. He felt that what Xiao Hei said was far from the truth, so he asked, "Are you sure the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree has really been growing for a million years? Wasn't Xumi Saint Monk a figure from only a hundred thousand years ago?"
Xiao Hei's eyes widened. "You think I'm bragging again? Zhang Ruochen, I'm telling you, since the day we met, I have never spoken a single boastful word."
"To tell you the truth, the inner world of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map was originally a time-space treasure refined by Xumi Saint Monk to help the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree recover its vitality as quickly as possible. So, for every day that passes in the outside world, ten days pass in the inner world of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map. A hundred thousand years in the outside world means a million years in the inner world."
Zhang Ruochen suddenly understood. "So that's how it is."
Xiao Hei continued, "However, the inner world of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map is still unstable. It can only house some Martial Souls and Beast Souls. If a living person enters, it would mean certain death."
"Only when the new sapling of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree grows to a certain extent can it become the World Root, stabilizing that world completely and transforming it into a Cave Heaven World."
"At that point, you will be able to open the scroll world of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map and enter it to cultivate."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "How much does the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree need to grow before it can support the Cave Heaven World inside the Cosmic Divine Wood Map?"
Xiao Hei said, "In the Five Elements Ruins Realm, the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree absorbed a large amount of Wood Spirit Origin Qi, recovering some of its vitality and growing considerably. If it could absorb ten times the Wood Spirit Origin Qi of the Five Elements Ruins Realm, the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree should be able to support that Cave Heaven World."
"Of course, if we let the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree grow on its own, giving it another million years, it could also support that world."
"A million years? I can't wait that long."
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly. "Ten times the Wood Spirit Origin Qi of the Five Elements Ruins Realm isn't too difficult. As long as I find a lower-level Ruins Realm with abundant Wood Spirit Origin Qi and absorb it, it should be accomplished."
Zhang Ruochen did not even consider collecting the Origin Qi of a medium-level Ruins Realm. After all, medium-level Ruins Realms had many powerful experts, a gathering of masters that he was not yet able to handle.
Moreover, once the Origin Qi of a Ruins Realm sensed Zhang Ruochen's hostility, it would subtly alter the world's rules, causing the powerful beings in that world to stop Zhang Ruochen, to kill him, thereby protecting itself.
Of course, those powerful beings would not know they were being driven by the Origin Qi. They would only develop a murderous intent toward Zhang Ruochen under a series of coincidences.
In the end, Origin Qi was essentially the Heavenly Dao and fortune of that world. It could only influence the people and events of the world in an intangible way, not issue direct commands.
Xiao Hei asked, "When do you plan to set out?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Wait a little longer. Let my cultivation improve a bit more. It will be much safer on the Ruins Realm battlefield. Besides, I still have some matters to take care of."
"Alright. You go handle your business, and I'll continue training those two fellows. I'll try to raise them up. They should come in handy in the future."
Xiao Hei flew out, turning into a black shadow that disappeared from the room.
"Its strength has indeed increased again. It's no longer beneath me." Zhang Ruochen stared at Xiao Hei's departing figure and muttered to himself.
Xiao Hei's power had always been there, just sealed within the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, unable to be unleashed.
Zhang Ruochen had already performed a blood-drop recognition ritual with the Cosmic Divine Wood Map. As his cultivation improved, he could unlock more seals, and Xiao Hei's strength would increase accordingly.
Thus, Xiao Hei's strength was always roughly on par with Zhang Ruochen's.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Purple Cloud Sinking Incense Wood, glanced at it, and then entered the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal.
He planned to absorb the Purple Cloud Sinking Incense Wood and cultivate the Wood Spirit Treasure Body.
Among the Five Elements, Water and Wood are mutually reinforcing attributes.
Since he had already cultivated the Water Spirit Treasure Body, choosing the Wood Spirit Treasure Body as his second Treasure Body would be much easier.
...
While Zhang Ruochen began refining the Purple Cloud Sinking Incense Wood, the Divine Sword Holy Land in the Eastern Domain's Sacred City welcomed a distinguished guest.
This person came from the Central Domain. She was a Saint Ancestor of the Bright Hall, riding a patch of nine-colored auspicious clouds as she flew through the sky.
She wore an emerald green palace dress, her figure graceful and her features exceptionally pure. Her slender brows were long, her red lips as vivid as cinnabar, and her skin as delicate as water, giving her the aura of a celestial maiden from beyond the heavens.
Unfortunately, such a young, beautiful, immortal face was crowned with a head of long, white hair.
Those beautiful eyes also seemed filled with the vicissitudes of life, as if they had experienced countless joys and sorrows, brimming with infinite wisdom.
The master of the Divine Sword Holy Land, Yu Sheng, personally came out to welcome her, treating her with the respect one would show an elder.