Chapter 1995: Heaven-Sea Divine Eye

Wuxia and Xianxia

Bikong Grotto-heaven was a realm dominated by flora, a true kingdom of plants. It was therefore no surprise that some of the vegetation had gained sentience. Qin Sang also detected the aura of these plant spirits.

The four changed course, flying a hundred miles before hovering in mid-air, looking down at the ground below. Below them, a vast expanse of green stretched for hundreds of miles, covered by massive, overlapping green leaves, each as large as a cattail fan. They were so dense that not a sliver of ground was visible.

Pitter-patter… Heavy rain lashed against the green leaves. Blocked by the broad foliage, the rainwater streamed along the intricate patterns of the veins. The patterns on the leaves were unique, forming channels that directed the rainwater from an entire area towards a single point. It was easy to imagine waterfalls cascading down from beneath the green leaves, while other areas, sheltered by the dense canopy, were spared the ravages of the downpour. Qin Sang sensed that many small creatures lived beneath the leaves, existing as dependents of this massive plant.

While Bikong Grotto-heaven was not devoid of insects and beasts, they were generally small, indicating that flora clearly held the dominant position in this minor world. Furthermore, constant oceanic storms were so fierce they could even sweep deep-sea water into the sky, making survival very difficult for aquatic creatures. Over a long period, coupled with other factors, this unique ecological pattern had been established.

Boom! Outside the expansive green canopy, the ground suddenly shook violently, causing widespread chaos. A mountain-like shadow was rushing towards them, driving hordes of insects and beasts to flee in panic, as if the shadow was a terrifying natural predator, capable of devouring them whole. A closer look revealed that the shadow was neither a mountain nor a fierce beast, but a towering tree.

The tree's root system was exceptionally developed, resembling thick legs. It possessed a massive trunk hundreds of feet tall, and its branches were flexible, thorn-covered vines. Some thorns still impaled the corpses of wild beasts. The tree's hollow thorns would pierce into a beast's body, then writhe and suck, drawing out its flesh and blood. In moments, a corpse would be drained, leaving only a withered hide. As the vines danced wildly, blood and rainwater mixed and flowed down the tree, giving it a demonic appearance.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh… With nowhere else to go, the insects and beasts fled in swarms beneath the green leaves. The giant tree pursued them relentlessly. Its incredibly sharp thorns, its most formidable weapons, sought to pierce the green leaves and tear them apart. Unexpectedly, the green leaves were unusually tough. When a vine lashed down, it failed to pierce them and was instead violently flung back. The giant tree visibly paused in surprise. Its thick roots gripped the rocks tightly, its trunk swayed violently, stopping its charge. Then, it turned to flee.

Just then, a whip-like shadow suddenly shot out from the ground, lashing the giant tree with lightning speed. Crack! The giant tree was instantly sent flying. In mid-air, it was tightly ensnared by the whip-like shadow. With a loud 'bang', its trunk exploded, shattered into countless pieces. Immediately after, innumerable fine white tendrils shot out from beneath the green leaves, enveloping the shattered tree fragments and retracting them. The green leaves swayed slightly, then quickly returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

“Mid-stage Transformation,” said Sect Master Ying. He was referring to the green leaves, whose cultivation level was comparable to a human Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivator. The giant tree was merely a tree spirit that had just gained sentience. After arriving on the continent, they had encountered various similar large trees that could move and hunt even before gaining sentience. Insects, beasts, and even plants were their food, making them top predators. Of course, the true overlords of Bikong Grotto-heaven were the powerful tree spirits, like the one represented by these green leaves. The green leaves spanning a hundred miles all belonged to a single ancient tree. This ancient tree had become a spirit and possessed a cultivation level of mid-stage Transformation.

Although the four hadn't deliberately concealed their auras, this powerful tree spirit couldn't detect them. They shamelessly continued to scan with their divine sense.

“Its intelligence doesn't seem very high,” Sect Master Yu also observed. In the Great World, except for special races, most tree demons in the Transformation stage possessed intelligence comparable to ordinary humans. They continued to fly for a while and found several more tree demons in the Transformation stage. These tree demons varied in size, each with their own territory. Some were rooted in one place, while others moved freely. They possessed wisdom, but their intelligence was limited. Some, despite being in the Transformation stage, were still driven by instinct.

The four continued to fly while conversing. Before long, they spotted a mountain. This was the highest peak they had seen since entering the continent. Its summit featured sheer cliffs on all sides, hanging isolated in the sky. Neither wind nor rain could penetrate this mountain. Surrounded by wind and rain on all sides, a void formed around the mountain, allowing a solitary beam of sunlight to fall and illuminate only this peak. At the summit, a red plum tree bloomed magnificently, a scene as poetic as it was picturesque. They had already sensed that this mountain held an aura comparable to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

“Tree demon, come forth!” Gu Yunshou shouted.

Beneath the tree, a red light shone, revealing a dignified woman. She looked at them and cautiously asked, “Are you also immortals?” She spoke not through telepathy, but in human language.

“It seems you've met disciples from Jitian Sect,” Gu Yunshou mused. “No wonder you know how to transform into human form. What did they tell you? Did they claim to be immortals descended from the heavens?” Gu Yunshou revealed a strange smile. To beings in minor worlds, Refinement Void cultivators were no different from divine immortals, but in the Great World, no one would dare to call themselves an immortal.

“They said that immortals would take over this realm in the future and guide its beings, providing us with a path forward,” the woman asked again. “Is that you?”

“Something like that. What’s your name? And how many others in this realm have a cultivation level comparable to yours?” Gu Yunshou asked.

“My name is Hongmei,” the woman answered without hesitation. “There are four other fellow cultivators comparable to me. We have an agreement to occupy the center and the four cardinal directions of the continent, respectively.”

Sect Master Yu interjected, “Come with us and help us find them all. You can also tell us about this realm's situation.”

Hongmei hesitated for a moment, then waved her sleeve, releasing a cloud of red mist that enveloped the tree. Moments later, the spirit tree vanished, and Hongmei floated up, her expression a mix of anticipation and apprehension. Qin Sang and the others exchanged glances, noting that while Hongmei's intelligence was not low, her nature seemed somewhat naive. Gu Yunshou expanded the white cloud beneath his feet, bringing Hongmei aboard.

Along the way, as they listened to Hongmei's explanations and combined them with their own discoveries, they gained a clearer understanding of Bikong Grotto-heaven. Bikong Grotto-heaven comprised only one continent, surrounded by oceans. There were no cultivators at the God Transformation stage here; the five most powerful beings, all in the late-stage Transformation, were plant spirits. According to Hongmei's description, this realm had never recorded any cultivators at the God Transformation stage. This stage had become an insurmountable chasm for the beings of this realm. There was a legend in this realm that as long as one could break through this profound barrier, they could ascend to the immortal realm.

In fact, this legend wasn’t entirely wrong. Like the Storm Realm, as long as one could break through to the God Transformation stage, they would be able to sense the Guiding Gate and enter the Great World.

Qin Sang and the other three communicated via spiritual transmission.

“This realm truly might not have produced any God Transformation cultivators,” one said. “Otherwise, after entering the Great World, by establishing a cultivation ground outside and monopolizing a realm, they could have developed a significant force. But we’ve never heard of such a thing before.”

“That’s right. It’s said that many sects in the Great World were founded by ascendants from minor worlds. They rely on a minor world, transforming it into a Grotto-heaven or Blessed Land, and gradually establish themselves in the Great World.” Hearing this, Qin Sang couldn't help but recall the Storm Realm and the countless minor worlds he had seen in the River of Sin. In a normal minor world, the appearance of an ascendant could feed back into future generations, thereby establishing a connection with the Great World. Unlike the Storm Realm, where ascendants still had to go through near-death experiences before finding the Guiding Gate. And for those minor worlds in the River of Sin, even if ascendants were rescued from the River of Sin by ferrymen, they would henceforth drift aimlessly in the Great World, making it almost impossible to find their homeland again. These minor worlds, unable to receive feedback, would eventually deplete their resources, fail to produce new ascendants, and quietly decline, like an old tree that could no longer bear fruit, eventually withering away.

“Limited intelligence and difficulty breaking through the God Transformation stage might be related to the fragmentation of this minor world…”

“Plant spirits born in this unique environment might possess special innate divine abilities. If cultivated properly, they could bring unexpected surprises and could be accepted into the sect as appropriate.”

“I wonder if Jitian Sect has explored the few forbidden places Hongmei mentioned…”

“The value of Bikong Grotto-heaven is likely just these.”

“This realm has no sects, so its mineral deposits and spiritual materials haven't been extensively mined for the purpose of developing a sect.”

“This place is suitable for plant growth, so there must be spiritual herbs…”

“Most tree demons are fierce by nature, and their bodies are good quality spiritual wood. They can also serve as a training ground for disciples.”

“Indeed, if we spread our teachings here and cultivate more Transformation-stage tree demons, our Nascent Soul disciples can also come here for training.”

“Hmm! But we must not drain the pond to catch all the fish, causing resentment to soar in this realm. When they break through a certain realm, or accumulate enough merit, and meet the requirements, we can guide them to the Great World and accept them into our sects.”

The four discussed and analyzed Bikong Grotto-heaven, back and forth, to facilitate the upcoming distribution of resources.

“Wait!” Just as they were speaking, Sect Master Yu suddenly stopped everyone and flew diagonally for a distance, revealing a chilling sight on the ground. Giant white pythons crawled across the land, intertwined densely and endlessly, forming a boundless expanse. Only in the very center stood a slender, man-sized green plant. These were tree roots, belonging to a Transformation-stage tree demon. The slender green plant was its true body, while its roots spread like a vast ocean.

Sect Master Yu did not conceal his presence, and entering the tree demon’s territory immediately angered it. The roots began to writhe frantically, resembling a giant snake nest and causing one’s scalp to tingle. Hongmei's red lips moved slightly, sending out a calming thought to the tree demon. Sect Master Yu pointed a finger, and a vast expanse of entangled roots unraveled on their own, revealing a fiery red valley. The valley was filled with spiritual trees resembling maple trees.

“Five-cornered maples,” Sect Master Yu exclaimed in surprise.

“Are you sure they’re five-cornered maples?” Gu Yunshou examined the spiritual trees, noting they looked vastly different from the descriptions of five-cornered maples. The leaves of five-cornered maples typically have five points, corresponding to the Five Elements.

“Does fellow Daoist not trust the expertise of my Guhe Garden?” Sect Master Yu asked, pointing to the roots. “It must be due to the environment; they’ve mutated, but their innate properties remain. Send out your divine sense and follow their root system—don’t they tap into a spiritual vein?”

The others tried, and it was indeed so.

“No wonder I felt the spiritual energy here was unusually abundant!” Gu Yunshou exclaimed. “This kind of spiritual tree can connect with spiritual veins and harmonize the spiritual energy of a cultivation ground. Over time, it can even elevate the spiritual energy level without needing a spiritual formation. It is one of the best spiritual trees for planting within a sect’s mountain gate, and it is rare even in the Great World.” Gu Yunshou specifically explained, then looked at Qin Sang, saying, “Daoist Master can move these spiritual trees back to Qingyang Temple.”

Sect Master Yu and Sect Master Ying did not blame Gu Yunshou for taking the initiative. Their sects had existed for a long time and already possessed various methods of spiritual harmonization. Moreover, the spiritual energy at their mountain gates was stable, and they did not lack this particular type of five-cornered maple.

Qin Sang did not decline. He cupped his hands in thanks, then with a phantom grasp of his hand, uprooted most of the five-cornered maples. The roots stirred. Qin Sang flicked his finger, sending out a beam of green light towards the green plant. Upon contact with the light, the green plant immediately swayed violently, showing its uncontrollable excitement and agitation. The green light was a cultivation method for plant spirits, given as compensation for the five-cornered maples.

After finding the five-cornered maples, everyone’s interest was piqued. Jitian Sect truly hadn't extensively plundered this realm; perhaps there were spiritual treasures even rarer than the five-cornered maples. Eventually, the five late-stage Transformation tree demons were all summoned together to gather information about this realm.

“The four of us come from four different sects in the Great World,” Gu Yunshou instructed. “From now on, this realm will be governed by our four sects. In the future, when beings in this realm achieve sufficient cultivation, they can follow us to cultivate in the Great World. The five of you, choose one sect to join. Our three sects will each take one, and two will follow Daoist Master Qingfeng.” The territories of the five demons were roughly equal, so the four great sects decided to divide the land accordingly, each then extracting resources from their own territories.

“I will follow Immortal Master Yu,” a tree demon, transformed into a burly man, was the first to speak. Sect Master Yu’s aura made it feel a sense of closeness.

Hongmei hesitated for a moment, then said, “I wish to join Qingyang Temple.”

Qin Sang was a little surprised. He could tell that Gu Yunshou valued Hongmei highly, and didn’t expect her to choose to follow him instead. Little did he know that along the way, Hongmei had observed that the attitudes of the other three towards Qin Sang were somewhat special. Moreover, Qin Sang alone was allocated two territories, meaning Qingyang Temple’s strength was definitely the strongest. Qin Sang quickly figured out the reason and inwardly thought that this plum demon wasn't without cunning. Unfortunately, she had miscalculated one thing.

“I’ll go with Sister Hongmei,” the only flower demon spoke immediately after. Among the five demons, the only two who had transformed into female forms both joined Qingyang Temple.

Instead of rushing to explore the resources in their territories, Qin Sang and the others were very interested in the forbidden lands mentioned by the five demons. This realm likely had no ancient sect ruins; the forbidden lands were mostly naturally formed dangerous places. There were four major forbidden lands in total, and seven minor ones. Two major and three minor ones were located on the continent and had all been explored by Jitian Sect. However, Jitian Sect had only plundered the forbidden lands on land. So the four went directly out to sea.

The North Sea had the fiercest storms and the most forbidden lands, totaling one major and three minor ones. Not far from the shore, they reached a minor forbidden land. The four could see through it without needing to enter.

“So, it formed the Divine Wind of Ligou.”

“Indeed, disciples can come here to temper their divine sense, but some protection will be needed…”

Without stopping, they continued flying north, crossing one towering wave after another, and witnessed an astonishing natural phenomenon. Gale-force winds howled, spinning madly and carrying countless volumes of seawater towards the sky, forming a gigantic, majestic waterspout, as if intent on draining the North Sea. Booming… The wind was like blades, and spiritual energy was in turmoil, forming a tempestuous wind even sharper than the Divine Wind of Ligou, capable of tearing Nascent Soul cultivators to shreds. No wonder the five demons dared not approach.

“This is the Divine Eye of Heavenly Sea. Truly magnificent!”

“It’s probably an anomaly caused by the grotto-heaven’s fragmentation.”

The group admired the Divine Eye of Heavenly Sea, treating the terrifying celestial phenomenon as a beautiful sight. They passed through the tempestuous wind and entered the interior of the Divine Eye of Heavenly Sea.