Chapter 1529: Wood Domain

Volume Seven: Traversing the Human Realm — Volume Nine: A Hundred Races of the Spirit Realm

With a soft 'bang,' the sphere emitted a large green glow, from which a stream of azure mist burst forth. Something shimmered faintly within the misty light. As the spiritual glow subsided, its true form was revealed.

It was a gigantic, jet-black pine tree standing there. This tree was unusually enormous, yet its appearance was highly peculiar. An invisible line seemed to divide the entire tree down the middle: one half boasted exceptionally dense and vibrant foliage, while the other was shriveled and withered, devoid of a single leaf, as if it were deadwood.

It was Mu Qing's true form, the spirit wood.

Staring at the tree with a complex expression, the woman rapidly flicked her fingers. One incantation after another shot forth, instantly disappearing into the black tree. The tree suddenly trembled, then plunged downwards, a significant portion of its trunk sinking into the ground, where it remained firmly unmoving.

Mu Qing, however, did not stop. She opened her mouth again and expelled a ball of emerald green vital blood. Urged forward, the vital blood flew towards the black tree in front of her, vanishing instantly into a slightly bulging section of the trunk. Mu Qing began to chant. Raising both hands, she shot out two more green beams of light, which likewise vanished into the black tree.

The next moment, a blinding green light erupted from the spot where the vital blood had entered. The tree trunk’s surface twisted and deformed, revealing a lifelike, carved wooden face. This face writhed continually, contorted in an expression of pain, as if it were alive. Upon closer inspection, it was clearly the face of the Ape-King Golden Spirit.

"Wake up quickly!" Mu Qing snapped, her eyebrows raised, as she sent another incantation flying through the air. With a 'crack,' a small section of the colossal black trunk split open inch by inch from the middle, and a golden-furred ape leaped out.

"Greetings, Master! You have awakened me, could it be…" The golden ape instantly knelt upon appearing.

"Old Jin, rise," Mu Qing said with a soft sigh. "Fortunately, when we departed, you left a clone of your divine consciousness within my true form. Now that your main primordial spirit has perished, you are the Golden Spirit."

"So it has truly perished," the ape murmured, his expression shifting. "No wonder I couldn't sense my main body's existence. In that case, from now on, the Golden Spirit will continue to serve you with all my might! But Master, you have summoned me at the cost of vital blood, so there must be something you need the Golden Spirit to do." He then spoke respectfully.

"Yes, the mark I left on that Han boy was destroyed, and I lost track of him. I'm preparing to use the 'Wood Domain' to find their whereabouts, but doing so will require me to use my true form's power. Therefore, I need you to help me guard my true form, the spirit wood. I've already set up the Azure Wood Universal Array nearby; even an entity like Six-Legged would be trapped for a short while if it intrudes. That should give you enough time to escape safely with my true form," Mu Qing stated gravely.

"The Wood Domain! This technique severely depletes your primordial power, Master. Moreover, once used, it cannot be invoked again for a thousand years. Do you truly intend to do this?" The golden ape asked, visibly alarmed.

"I'm afraid I must," Mu Qing replied gravely. "The power contained within the sphere I saw in the Devil's Tomb last time was identical to my primordial power, but in terms of purity and quantity, it was more than ten times greater than my true form's. If I can obtain this treasure and spend some time absorbing all its power, I can not only immediately break through my current cultivation realm but also very likely advance to an even higher level. In terms of efficacy, this item is far more important to me than the so-called Underworld River Divine Milk."

"Since Master has decreed it, the Golden Spirit will certainly take excellent care of your true form," the golden ape stated, his expression growing stern. He understood that Mu Qing's decision was final and ceased his attempts to dissuade her.

"Good, Old Jin, your word is enough," Mu Qing said after a brief contemplation. "Your original physical body was destroyed, and although your current body is a wood-ape form created with the power of my true form, your cultivation is only at the early Spirit Marshal realm, which is a bit weak. How about this: I will leave this item for you." With that, she suddenly opened her mouth and expelled a misty green mirror.

It was palm-sized, with an emerald green wood-grain back. A slight shake in the air caused it to emit myriad rays of light and auspicious energy that shot skyward. This item was clearly an extraordinary treasure.

"Isn't this your Heavenly Wood Mirror, Master? This treasure is one you have cultivated since the day you attained enlightenment. How could I possibly take it? You will need this treasure to repel enemies and protect yourself when you go to the Devil's Tomb," Golden Spirit protested, immediately waving his hands in refusal upon seeing the mirror.

"If my true form isn't protected, how can I exist in this world?" Mu Qing countered. "Besides, Old Jin, you know that I acquired another spirit treasure a few years ago. Its power is no less than this mirror's, and it's even more effective at suppressing demonic energy."

Hearing Mu Qing's words, Golden Spirit hesitated for a long moment before finally agreeing. He raised his hand and pointed at the mirror. Instantly, it transformed into a ray of green light and vanished into his body.

"Besides the Heavenly Wood Mirror, these two Evergreen Wood Spirit Swords are far superior to your original ones. Take them as well," Mu Qing said after a moment's thought, making a grabbing motion in the air above the colossal black trunk with one hand. Two branches trembled and fell, and after a flash of azure light, they transformed into two gleaming azure swords, dropping to the ground. Golden Spirit's face lit up with joy; this time, he made no attempt to refuse. He leaped up, seized the two flying swords, and after a quick examination, skillfully secured them behind his back.

After completing these arrangements, Mu Qing finally relaxed. After giving Golden Spirit a few more instructions, she dispelled the wood-like transformation of half her body, restoring her form to its original state. Then, an azure rainbow shot out of the valley, and after a few flashes, she was gone.

Shortly after Mu Qing departed, Golden Spirit activated the array formation and restrictions that Mu Qing had laid out. The space around the valley twisted and blurred, transforming into an ordinary, empty scene, as if refracted by water. From a distance, not a single flaw was discernible.

Mu Qing flew unhurriedly, an unusual phenomenon unfolding around her. Within ten zhang of her, green light shimmered, and ethereal images of flowers, plants, and trees floated and danced, emitting an exceptionally pure wood spiritual energy. Mu Qing herself was bathed in a radiant green glow, with the translucent image of a colossal emerald tree shimmering behind her, making her resemble a nature spirit. It was as if a small, self-contained world existed within the green light.

In a short while, Mu Qing returned to the hill where she had first found Han Li's traces. Her light of escape faded, and she stood atop the peak. With both hands raised, the intense green light around her suddenly expanded outwards, encompassing the entire hill within mere moments. In that instant, all the ethereal images of trees, flowers, and plants materialized into real objects, settling and rooting themselves in the ground, swaying in the wind. The vicinity of the hill instantly transformed into a world dominated by vegetation.

Simultaneously, from the roots of the colossal tree behind Mu Qing, several roots suddenly transformed into countless azure threads that shot outwards. Some vanished into the thickets of trees, while others darted underground, disappearing in an instant. At this moment, the woman closed her eyes, her expression solemn and her delicate brows furrowed, as if she were discerning something.

After a full fifteen minutes, she suddenly opened her eyes and murmured: "So the mark was destroyed using the power of those two girls from the Ghost Soul Sect. It seems even the Ghost Matron herself is unaware that her disciples possess such a secret art. Nevertheless, now that I know the direction they fled, I will eventually find all three of them."

Having finished muttering to herself, Mu Qing suddenly performed a hand seal. The dispersed green light curtain around her began to contract back from the hill's vicinity. Where the light curtain receded, all the materialized trees, flowers, and plants dissipated and vanished. As everything around the hill returned to its original state, the woman soared into the sky, genuinely pursuing in the direction Han Li had originally departed.

Han Li, of course, was unaware that Mu Qing, Six-Legged, and others had all simultaneously set their sights on him. However, to be safe, after leaving the hill area with the two girls, he continuously altered their direction of travel. In his view, even if any lingering traces or weaknesses remained, they were no cause for concern. Evidently, he had somewhat underestimated the divine powers of those demon kings.

Currently, Han Li was flying with the two women over a desolate expanse of yellow sand, conversing with Yuan Yao and the others as they traveled:

"What? Brother Han still plans to find a spatial node to return to the Spirit Realm!" Yan Li exclaimed, sounding utterly astonished.

"Precisely. Through my research into the Dao of Space in both the Human and Spirit Realms, I've long discovered that regardless of size, all spaces contain certain nodes. The smaller the space, the easier these nodes are to locate. What are referred to as spatial cracks are merely variations of these spatial nodes. If we can find a spatial node in the Underworld River Land, and take some risks, we should have a very high chance of returning to the Spirit Realm," Han Li's unusually calm voice drifted through the air.

"But Brother Han," Yuan Yao said hesitantly, "although spatial nodes are rare, my junior sister and I have heard of the immense dangers they present. Not only are spatial storms common within them, but the exit points of these nodes are also uncontrollable. Isn't the risk a bit too great?"

"There are certainly some risks," Han Li stated, frowning. "However, if I lead the way, there's at least a seventy to eighty percent chance we can pass through safely. After all, this Underworld River Land is merely a somewhat larger spatial region subordinate to the Spirit Realm, not a true independent realm itself. Unless, of course, the two of you don't intend to leave and truly wish to reside in this Underworld River Land indefinitely."

"Actually, we could hide for a while," Yan Li said, blinking her beautiful eyes in the light of their escape and smiling sweetly. "After those people leave, we could temporarily cultivate here. The Yin and spiritual energy in this place are extremely abundant, which would be greatly beneficial for our cultivation."

"I'm afraid that won't do!" Han Li said, narrowing his eyes and slowly analyzing the situation. "Miss Yan, have you forgotten about the Mayfly Race? Who knows when the reinforcements for those puppets will break through the boundary and arrive here? Even powerful figures like Mu Qing and the Ghost Matron are extremely wary of the Mayfly Race, which speaks volumes about their terrifying nature. Furthermore, since this Underworld River Land is their sacred ground, their understanding of this place must far exceed ours. Even hiding in the most secluded spots won't guarantee safety. And one more thing, do the two of you truly not intend to return to the human race to find a way to restore your human forms?"