Chapter 1859: Water Born of Wood

The Human World

Leaves swirled in disarray.

Spirit banners were raised high, their surfaces fluttering.

Qin Sang retreated into the formation, immediately taking out a bottle of elixirs to swallow. He held the Five Elements Crown in his palm, separating a portion of his spiritual sense to soothe the restless artifact spirit.

He would likely have to rely on this treasure again later, so he needed to appease the artifact spirit as quickly as possible to have the chance to unleash the Great Five Elements Divine Light once more.

At this moment, the sky wall was covered by a layer of haze, suddenly dimming as layers of spectral waves surged over it.

Boom!

The sky wall tore open, and vaguely, a dragon-like figure became visible.

All the spirit banners simultaneously trembled. Azure profound energy circulated within the banner formation, converging toward the center as the banners trembled, forming a crescent-shaped azure saber.

The saber pointed diagonally at the sky wall.

Whoosh!

An azure saber glow shot up into the sky!

The wood spirit energy in the void seemed to be drawn by something, and surged wildly towards the saber.

Like a bottomless pit, the saber glow absorbed everything it encountered. It became increasingly bright and dazzling, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a hundred-zhang colossal saber, its momentum surging to an astonishing degree.

This saber strike tore open the sky wall.

The aggressive vanguard of spectral waves was split apart by the saber. The Black Fish Dharma Idol in the waves narrowed its gaze, violently lashed its long tail, and leapt up.

The Sea-Swallowing Clam beneath it silently merged into the spectral waves. The next moment, it appeared directly in front of the saber glow.

At this moment, the Sea-Swallowing Clam was only palm-sized. Its two shells were half-open, its opening aimed at the saber glow, and suddenly, it emitted a brilliant white light.

As the saber glow touched the white light, it seemed to encounter an immense suction force, twisting and deforming.

Ultimately, the colossal saber, over a hundred zhang long, was completely swallowed by the seemingly tiny Sea-Swallowing Clam.

Snap!

The clam shells closed, and all light instantly vanished.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The Sea-Swallowing Clam vibrated wildly. With a splash, the spectral waves surged back, submerging the Sea-Swallowing Clam, and the vibrating sound gradually grew faint.

The spectral waves stopped spreading and gathered into a mass beneath the Black Fish Dharma Idol.

The Black Fish Dharma Idol's gaze pierced through the sky wall, seeing the scene below, its eyes flickering uncertainly.

Seeing Qin Sang hiding within the formation and no longer fleeing, Spirit King You was not in a hurry to pursue. It hovered above, looking down, observing the illusory scene.

Inside the formation.

Qin Sang withdrew his gaze and slightly closed his eyes.

The situation had developed suddenly; there had been no time to do more. Qin Sang had only managed to set up this formation beforehand.

This formation was a set of banner formations he had purchased many years ago in Ju Shan Zhi. It was capable of both offense and defense, and quite profound.

Because the characteristics of this formation were well-suited to the Forest Domain, Qin Sang had paid a hefty price to buy the banner set.

The Forest Domain was inherently very advantageous to Qin Sang. With this banner formation, he was confident against any opponent of his cultivation level. Therefore, after acquiring the banner formation, he had merely mastered its principles, without expending more effort on refining and perfecting it.

But who could have imagined that he would attract a Demon King?

During the chase, Spirit King You had displayed extremely keen spiritual perception. Even with the spirit banners integrated into the trees, it would be difficult to hide them from its senses.

As expected, the previous saber strike had failed to harm Spirit King You in the slightest.

It would be better to openly display the banner formation, making Spirit King You wary and buying himself some time.

One fish, one person, one in the sky, one on the ground, faced each other across the distance.

The Black Fish Dharma Idol swam restlessly within the spectral waves, like a hunter seeking an opportunity to strike.

Meanwhile, the banner formation seemed somewhat subdued after its initial strike. A new crescent saber was forming in the center of the spirit nexus, poised to strike.

At this moment, Spirit King You understood why Qin Sang had desperately fled here: he had set up a pre-arranged support formation.

In this location, the formation's power far exceeded what it would be elsewhere.

However, relying on a spirit formation, a mere banner formation would not be enough to force him back.

If this junior only had these tricks, he could be sentenced to death!

Beneath the sky wall, countless trees flourished, a sight visible in its entirety.

Spirit King You took everything in. Confirming no other dangers were hidden, a hint of mockery flashed in its eyes. It manipulated the spectral waves to tear open the sky wall and descended into the Forest Domain.

Splash!

Spectral water poured down from the sky.

A black waterfall hung at the edge of the sky, its waves rolling. The Black Fish Dharma Idol, like a swimming dragon, descended gracefully.

Qin Sang seemed not to notice the scene in the sky. With his eyes closed, he stood motionless beneath the banner formation.

Under the impact of the waterfall and the Black Fish Dharma Idol, the banner surfaces flapped violently. The saber projection within the banner formation did not strike out. Instead, it shattered with a 'thump', reverting to azure profound energy, which rotated around the formation.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The surrounding wood spirit energy was also stirred, gathering towards it. Initially, it was drawn by the azure profound energy and rotated, forming a giant vortex above the banner formation.

As the wood spirit energy grew denser, a thick azure light enveloped the banner formation, like a heavy, azure canopy, exceptionally weighty.

Boom!

The waterfall heavily slammed onto the canopy. The earth shook, and the aftermath swept across all directions, shattering large swathes of ancient trees and leaving the surroundings in ruins.

Though the momentum was immense, it failed to break through the canopy, only causing it to tremble, utterly unable to harm Qin Sang inside the spirit formation.

Just then, the Black Fish Dharma Idol arrived with the residual waves. From above, it cast a glance and suddenly lashed out its two long whiskers.

At the same time, the Sea-Swallowing Clam appeared beside the Black Fish Dharma Idol. The spiritual treasure was inverted, its two shells opened to their widest.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The spectral waves seemed to be guided by something, splitting into two currents. They surged towards both sides of the canopy and condensed there.

The waves piled higher and higher, forming two towering cliffs of giant waves in the blink of an eye, sandwiching the banner formation and Qin Sang between them.

The two water waves resembled the Sea-Swallowing Clam. The moment they formed, they slammed inward with a roar.

Rumble!

The high cliffs collapsed, shaking heaven and earth.

The terrifying water waves were merely superficial. The banner formation was enduring unimaginable crushing force; the canopy deformed instantly and dissipated in multiple places, giving the impression it could burst at any moment.

Crack!

Suddenly, two bolts of lightning streaked through the gloom, striking simultaneously and heavily impacting the top of the canopy.

The lightning bolts were actually the Black Fish Dharma Idol's long whiskers; the spiritual treasure had remained fused with them and had not been withdrawn.

The whiskers left two prominent whip marks on the canopy's surface. Before the cracks could close, they snapped back and struck again.

Bolts of lightning, like a torrential storm, continuously struck the canopy.

Even if the banner formation were more powerful and the canopy more robust, it could not withstand the continuous assault of the two spiritual treasures.

Thump, thump, thump...

Whoosh, whoosh...

The spirit formation trembled, and the azure light on the banner surfaces fluctuated violently.

At this moment, Qin Sang finally opened his eyes. He put the Five Elements Crown into his sleeve, inwardly examined his Qi Sea, and sighed inwardly. He looked up at the sky, and his entire body suddenly began to undergo drastic changes.

He completely unleashed his Spirit Wood Body. His body rapidly grew taller, his limbs elongated, his skin became rough, and the poisonous hairs on his body resembled moss on tree bark.

At this moment, Qin Sang completely transformed into a Tree Spirit!

Precisely at this moment, the long whiskers struck the canopy again, finally tearing it open. The giant waves of water poured in with a roar, and the canopy disintegrated.

Cracks even appeared on the staffs of some spirit banners, and some banner surfaces were about to detach from their staffs.

Qin Sang's eyes flashed. He swept his sleeve, rolling up the remnants of the formation, and transformed into a withered tree.

Spirit King You immediately sensed it. Feeling that the banner formation and its aura below had vanished simultaneously and all its attacks had struck empty space, a look of surprise flashed in its eyes. It abruptly turned its head and looked at an ancient tree in the distance.

Within a breath, the ancient tree withered, its leaves yellowed and fell. A tall Tree Spirit stepped out of the tree's trunk, leaving behind the dried-up ancient tree. It met Spirit King You's gaze, its eyes showing no weakness!

From the poisonous hairs all over his body to transforming into a Tree Spirit, Qin Sang's appearance had always been peculiar.

It could be determined from the aura that the Tree Spirit was Qin Sang, and the Black Fish Dharma Idol's surprise deepened. It realized that Qin Sang's depleted qi and blood had been restored to full vigor in a short time.

Had he consumed a precious spirit medicine, or was there some other mystery in this place?

Having ascended to the venerated position of a Demon King, one could directly draw upon the power of the outer heaven and earth to nourish oneself. Even after self-cultivation amputation, Spirit King You could still use its remaining Dharma Idol, retaining some of its Demon King's divine abilities.

Although it was far from its full power, its apparent cultivation was comparable to that of a peak Demon Marquis. However, its recovery speed was unmatched by any Demon Marquis; after chasing Qin Sang for so long, it showed no signs of fatigue.

Qin Sang clearly could not achieve this level. Why had he recovered so quickly?

Spirit King You carefully scrutinized Qin Sang. Sensing the unique aura of the Spirit Wood Body, it vaguely formed a conjecture. With a slight shift in its thoughts, its two long whiskers suddenly lashed out at Qin Sang.

White whisker shadows tore through the air and arrived.

Qin Sang's pupils abruptly constricted.

At this moment, his vision seemed to contain only these two lightning bolts. An inexplicable feeling of impending destruction filled his heart. He dared not delay. He silently activated the Great Vajra Wheel Seal and threw a punch.

Boom!

The fierce punch wind created explosive thunderous sounds in the void, instantly clashing with the two lightning bolts.

Crack!

Crack!

Qin Sang's arm trembled, and he continuously retreated. Then, his eyes flashed as the white whiskers attacked again.

The white whiskers were like two flood dragons, exceptionally agile.

Relying on his Spirit Wood Body, the Great Vajra Wheel Seal, the Bright Mountain Armor, and occasionally wielding the Cloud Roaming Sword to break out of predicaments, Qin Sang actually fought Spirit King You to a standstill.

Qin Sang remained vigilant, ordering the Sky-Eyed Butterfly to monitor the Sea-Swallowing Clam's movements. However, Spirit King You showed no intention of using this treasure, merely manipulating its two white whiskers to engage him in combat.

This played right into Qin Sang's hands. Qin Sang suddenly changed his defensive stance. He turned and lunged at the Black Fish Dharma Idol, disregarding the consequences, and launched a furious counterattack.

The battlefield shifted constantly. Wherever they passed, dust and smoke billowed, causing immense destruction to the Forest Domain.

Within the dust and smoke, one could see a monstrous fish and a treant's figure continuously crisscrossing, fighting until the sky darkened and the earth blurred.

Boom!

After a loud bang, the two figures separated as soon as they touched. Qin Sang flew back a thousand zhang, breathing heavily, the ferocity in his eyes undiminished.

The Black Fish Dharma Idol's expression was also somewhat grim, clearly not at ease.

Intense pain emanated from all over his body; the internal injuries and depleted qi and blood showed how fierce this battle had been. But Qin Sang showed no intention of retreating. He shrugged his shoulders, and an azure light appeared on his body's surface.

The surrounding wood spirit energy, like water being absorbed by a leviathan, surged wildly into Qin Sang's body. His wounds healed, and his aura surged at a visible rate.

“Indeed!”

Seeing this, Spirit King You's expression shifted slightly. It was as expected.

There was no surprise in its eyes. Instead, a hint of cold mockery appeared. It gave a cold laugh, “A mere facade!”

As his gaze met Spirit King You's, Qin Sang's heart pounded violently. He had an ominous premonition; the confidence he gained from the Forest Domain no longer felt as strong.

Immediately after, the Black Fish Dharma Idol rose, shaking its tail. All the spectral waves surged towards the sky with it, transforming into thick rain clouds in the air, covering a large section of the sky wall.

Splash!

Suddenly, torrential rain poured down.

The rain was extremely fierce. Qin Sang stood alone in the downpour. Unable to guess Spirit King You's intention, he dared not let the raindrops touch him, circulating his true essence to block the rainwater.

But he soon discovered that these raindrops seemed to have no special power. They were just ordinary raindrops, with no destructive capability.

The torrential rain showed no sign of stopping. The rainwater on the ground accumulated more and more, filling pits and valleys, gathering into rivers across the land and flowing freely.

The area was filled with abundant water vapor. The rainwater was absorbed by the vegetation as if famished.

Immediately, a strange scene unfolded. The ancient trees within the torrential rain's reach, as if nourished, suddenly began to grow wildly.

Ancient trees that had died in the battle were reborn.

New saplings sprouted branches and leaves, and in a few breaths, grew into towering trees. Their growth remained vigorous.

Soon, the jungle in this area grew significantly taller than its surroundings, standing out like a crane among chickens, and was extremely conspicuous.

As the trees grew wildly, the wood spirit energy in this area became increasingly dense.

“Water begets Wood?”

Qin Sang looked around, guessing the reason for this change: it should be related to the Five Elements generative cycle.

But why would Spirit King You do this?

This action was equivalent to providing him with wood spirit energy. The more wood spirit energy, the more beneficial it was to him. How was Spirit King You any different from actively aiding an enemy?

But when Qin Sang continued to circulate his Spirit Wood Body, he was horrified to discover that an unexpected stagnation occurred when absorbing wood spirit energy. Moreover, the more newly generated wood spirit energy there was, the more pronounced this stagnation became, even affecting the normal wood spirit energy.

At this moment, Qin Sang finally understood Spirit King You's intention!

He didn't know what divine ability Spirit King You had used, but the wood spirit energy produced by the spectral water nourishing the vegetation actually repelled the Spirit Wood Body, as if it was still controlled by Spirit King You.

This wood spirit energy was mixed with the normal wood spirit energy.

Even if it couldn't completely seal off Qin Sang and prevent him from absorbing wood spirit energy, it could significantly slow down his recovery speed. Moreover, the burden on him during recovery would be heavier until he could no longer bear it.

Spirit King You seized the opportunity and used this method to actually counteract the ever-victorious Post-natal Wooden Human Stele!

Raindrops pattered on the ground, as if falling onto Qin Sang's heart.

The next moment, Qin Sang's entire body stiffened, and he transformed into a withered tree, stepping out from an ancient tree outside the torrential rain.

After all, Spirit King You no longer possessed the cultivation of a Demon King. Its divine abilities could not cover the entire jungle, nor could it possibly convert all the infinite wood spirit energy here for its own use. He could completely rely on his shifting divine ability to continuously move and outlast Spirit King You!

Unexpectedly, Qin Sang looked up and saw the Sea-Swallowing Clam appear overhead. It instantly absorbed all the rainwater below, and the jungle there returned to normal.

The Sea-Swallowing Clam then changed direction, aiming at Qin Sang's current location, and poured down an endless torrent of water.

The torrential rain followed closely.

In an instant, the surroundings turned into a watery expanse. Two long whiskers, accompanied by the torrential rain, struck down like lightning.

Qin Sang was like a trapped beast in the rain. After a struggle, he shifted away to recover elsewhere.

Spirit King You seemed to have exhausted its tricks, powerless to further restrict his shifting divine ability.

But Qin Sang knew it couldn't be that simple. He was also racking his brain, thinking of a way to break free.

At this moment, neither side, locked in fierce combat, noticed a figure appearing outside the sky wall. It cast a distant glance here, gradually faded, and silently approached the sky wall.