https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-196-Fifty-Years-Later-Over-there-/12530561/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-198-The-Astonishing-Primordial-Demon-Tree/12530563/
Chapter 197: The 'King' of the Black Mist Mountains
Chapter 197: The 'King' of the Black Mist Mountains (End of Chapter)
Outside the Black Mist Mountains.
As one of the top ten mountain ranges in the Celestial Blue World, the Black Mist Mountains were home to countless ferocious beasts and ancient herbs.
For cultivators, this was undoubtedly a treasure trove of endless wealth.
Two hundred and eighty-three years ago, an extra-dimensional dark god invaded, and countless dark god puppets poured into the Celestial Blue World.
Faced with the threat of survival, the various forces in the Celestial Blue World immediately formed the Celestial Blue Alliance, setting aside all grudges and uniting their powers to hold off the dark god puppets beyond the world.
As a result, most cultivators went to the battlefield to fight the dark god puppets.
The number of cultivators entering the Black Mist Mountains decreased significantly, and most of those who remained were young cultivators who lacked strength.
Even so, there were still many cultivators coming and going at the entrance of the Black Mist Mountains every day.
One could only imagine how prosperous the Black Mist Mountains were before the invasion of the extra-dimensional dark god.
"Have you noticed that in recent decades, there seem to be fewer beasts and vicious creatures in the Black Mist Mountains?"
"Indeed. In the past, I had to be very careful when entering the Black Mist Mountains, as encounters with those beasts were common. But now, it's rare to come across any formidable beasts."
"I wonder what the reason is?"
"Could there be a problem with the 'Kings' in the depths of the Black Mist Mountains?"
At the entrance of the Black Mist Mountains, cultivators whispered among themselves. Having frequently ventured into the mountains, they had noticed the changes.
"It's unlikely to be an issue with the 'Kings' in the depths of the Black Mist Mountains. After all, they possess noble bloodlines and longevity."
"Every few decades, those 'Kings' would command countless beasts and vicious creatures to create a beast tide. But since the invasion of the extra-dimensional dark god, the powerful beasts in the Black Mist Mountains have become much more docile."
"I'm not saying that the 'Kings' are having problems. I'm wondering if the decrease in the number of powerful beasts in the Black Mist Mountains is due to the actions of those 'Kings'. After all, only they have the power to command so many beasts."
"That makes sense."
The cultivators discussed their speculations, as the reduction in powerful beasts affected their ability to hunt for valuable prey.
However, if the 'Kings' were indeed behind this, there was little they could do. The 'Kings' were incredibly strong and had deep roots.
Even during normal times, cultivators from the human side couldn't do much against them and could only establish 'contracts'.
Moreover, most of humanity's forces were currently focused on repelling the extra-dimensional dark god invasion.
Deep within the Black Mist Mountains.
A primitive tree, standing thirty to forty meters tall, silently towered. Its black branches and vines hung low, and its canopy glowed with a faint emerald hue.
While the tree appeared slightly peculiar compared to normal ancient trees, it wasn't unusual for the Black Mist Mountains to host trees of unique species.
However.
Upon closer inspection.
One would find that within a radius of tens of miles, not a single beast or vicious creature could be found near this ancient tree.
Although the aura it exuded was peaceful and gentle, there was an underlying sense of eeriness to it.
"Fifty years,"
Lin Yuan sighed. Of course, in his current state, he couldn't actually sigh, so the branches and vines swayed gently instead.
These fifty years had been a period of rapid growth for Lin Yuan, fueled by the countless beasts and vicious creatures of the Black Mist Mountains. After overcoming the initial difficulties, each day brought noticeable progress.
"Now,"
Lin Yuan assessed himself. His current height reached thirty to forty meters.
However, this height was the result of extreme suppression.
Without it, he could easily surpass a hundred meters or more, which would make him stand out in the Black Mist Mountains.
Perhaps he would even attract the attention of the leader of the Celestial Blue Alliance and his deputies.
If that happened, there was a high likelihood that Lin Yuan's true identity would be exposed. If the leader of the Celestial Blue World learned that a descendant of the Primordial Demon Tree had infiltrated their world, they might temporarily set aside their concerns about the battlefield and concentrate all their forces on dealing with Lin Yuan first.
To defend against external threats, one must first ensure internal stability.
This reasoning was easy to understand.
Although the Demon Tree was only thirty to forty meters tall at the moment, its root system had already spread for tens of thousands of miles underground.
With a mere thought, Lin Yuan could exert his power anywhere within this vast area.
The root system of plants and trees was naturally much larger than their trunks, and although the Demon Tree was not entirely a tree, it possessed the capabilities of one.
"For thousands of miles around,"
Lin Yuan carefully sensed his surroundings with the aid of his root system. He could control everything within a radius of tens of thousands of miles.
He could even extend his perception through his roots to gather information from farther distances, spanning tens or even hundreds of thousands of miles.
"The 'Kings' in the deepest parts?"
Lin Yuan expanded his perception, probing deeper into the Black Mist Mountains.
That region was a forbidden zone for all beasts and vicious creatures, the dwelling place of the 'Kings' of the Black Mist Mountains.
"Hmm?"
In Lin Yuan's perception, a red-bodied phoenix tree stood tall at the heart of the Black Mist Mountains.
Atop the phoenix tree sat a massive nest, where a bird with golden-red feathers slept.
"Is it a vermilion bird or a phoenix?"
Lin Yuan remained cautious and observed quietly for a while before slowly retreating.
"After fifty years of cultivation, my combat strength should be comparable to a Sixth Stage Evolver from the main world. The cultivation system of the Demon Tree is vastly different from the martial path."
Lin Yuan fell into deep thought.
Of course, even without cultivating the martial path's evolution route, it didn't hinder Lin Yuan from using his heaven-defying comprehension to deduce and perfect the seventh stage of the martial path's evolution.
Additionally, certain essential qualities of the Demon Tree could provide valuable insights for the martial path's evolution, allowing for a seamless integration.
"The battlefield of the extra-dimensional dark gods."
Lin Yuan's gaze turned towards the distant extra-dimensional realm.
With the innate perception of the Demon Tree, he sensed an abyss-like presence—the location of the Primordial Demon Tree.
"The Primordial Demon Tree intends to invade this world, but it doesn't seem to be going smoothly."
Lin Yuan mused to himself. Fifty years had passed, yet he hadn't sensed any forward progress from the Primordial Demon Tree. It seemed to be blocked.
For an invader, this was a disadvantage. The Celestial Blue World had the advantage of being an entire world, allowing them to continuously rally cultivators to resist the invasion.
On the other hand, the Primordial Demon Tree, even as an extra-dimensional dark god, was ultimately just a single entity.
In terms of foundational strength, it couldn't compete with an entire world.
"It has nothing to do with me for now."
Lin Yuan shook his head slightly. During this journey through the worlds, he intended to stay in this world for six hundred years, and only fifty years had passed so far—not even a tenth of the planned duration. He still had ample time for cultivation.
The stalemate between the Celestial Blue World and the Primordial Demon Tree was beneficial to Lin Yuan.
If the Primordial Demon Tree had descended upon this world before Lin Yuan grew stronger than it, that would have been a dire situation.
Precisely because of this, Lin Yuan had devoured countless beasts and vicious creatures in the Black Mist Mountains over the past fifty years, but he had refrained from targeting human cultivators.
"First, I'm concerned about being discovered. Second, I don't want to weaken the power of human cultivators," Lin Yuan admitted to himself. For now, he still needed countless cultivators from the Celestial Blue Alliance to buy him time for his growth by fighting against the invasion of the Demon Ancestor Tree.
"But recently, I awakened a power unique to the Demon Ancestor Trees."
With a slight stir of his consciousness, Lin Yuan caused the branches and trunk of the Demon Tree to sway gently. A dull gray seed floated before him.
Demon Tree Seed.
The Demon Ancestor Tree, spanning the extradimensional realm, constantly shed countless seeds that transformed into Evil God Puppets to battle the mighty beings of the Celestial Blue World.
As the legitimate offspring of the Demon Ancestor Tree, Lin Yuan, upon reaching a certain stage of growth and breaking free from the world's suppression, would naturally gain the ability to produce these seeds.
Lin Yuan gazed at the dull gray seed floating before him, the very essence of the Demon Seed.
Thus far, Lin Yuan had discovered three uses for these Demon Seeds.
The first was to directly transform them into Demon Puppets.
This was the method currently employed by the Demon Ancestor Tree, utilizing its vast primal qi to nurture the rapid growth of the Demon Seeds, turning them into Evil God Puppets.
The second was parasitism, where the Demon Seed could parasitize a living being and exert control over it.
The third was natural growth, achieved by scattering the seeds across fertile lands, allowing them to take root and sprout.
Lin Yuan's predecessor, the Demon Tree, was born from this third method.
Each of these methods had its pros and cons, but only the third method could produce an offspring of the Demon Ancestor Tree, inheriting its innate abilities.
"The first ability of the Demon Seed holds no significance for me," Lin Yuan shook his head. Using his own primal qi to nurture the growth of the Demon Tree seeds was not a suitable approach for him in his current state.
What kind of existence was the Demon Ancestor Tree? It reigned across the extradimensional realm, amassing immense power, hence its ability to expend vast amounts of primal qi to nurture the Demon Seeds.
But how long had Lin Yuan been cultivating? Moreover, if he had sufficient primal qi, he would directly enhance himself rather than waste it on creating puppets.
As for the third effect of the Demon Seed, it was even less useful.
Even the seeds of the Demon Ancestor Tree scattered across the Celestial Blue World had mostly perished. It was highly improbable that a seed produced by Lin Yuan, an offspring of the Demon Ancestor Tree, would survive.
"Parasitism," Lin Yuan muttered, his thoughts lingering on the second ability of the Demon Seed.
It could parasitize a living being and exert control over it.
This ability came with many prerequisites, the most important of which was that the parasitized being must be incapable of resistance. Otherwise, the parasitism would fail.
With a slight stir of his consciousness, Lin Yuan's attention turned to a distant location, miles away.
A purple-eyed rabbit cautiously poked its head out, its gaze fixed on a spiritual herb not far away, its eyes gleaming with desire.
Swoosh! The rabbit scanned its surroundings, not detecting any danger, and then dashed towards the herb.
However, just as it was about to reach its goal...
A black trunk shot out from the ground, binding the rabbit and pulling it back underground.
In just a moment, the purple-eyed rabbit appeared before Lin Yuan.
"Chitter, chitter," the rabbit squeaked, its body trembling as it looked up at the towering presence before it.
"Let's try the parasitism effect on you," Lin Yuan said, his gaze fixed on the rabbit. A dull gray seed descended, landing on the rabbit.
Buzz! The rabbit collapsed in a heap, and the gray Demon Seed quickly penetrated its head.
Soon after, the rabbit was completely under Lin Yuan's control. It stood stiffly, emitting a mental wave of reverence towards Lin Yuan.
"This feeling..." Lin Yuan observed the rabbit, making it perform various actions like rolling and running under his command.
"Not bad," Lin Yuan nodded slightly. The purple-eyed rabbit was still alive, but it had been supplanted by the Demon Tree seed.
"However..." Lin Yuan frowned, "It's too obvious."
The rabbit's limbs were stiff, its gaze vacant, and its movements seemed sluggish, giving the impression of being under someone's control.
It would be easy for others to notice something amiss.
"No wonder the Demon Ancestor Tree hasn't utilized the parasitism ability of the Demon Seeds. It's indeed a bit lacking," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
While the parasitism ability of the Demon Seeds didn't require the expenditure of primal qi for their growth, it came with many restrictions. Firstly, the parasitized being must be incapable of resistance. If they couldn't resist, it would be simpler to just kill and devour them instead of wasting energy on parasitism.
Secondly, while the parasitized being was under control, the effects were glaringly obvious. It would be difficult for the strong cultivators of the Celestial Blue World not to notice.
"But...can I use my heaven-defying comprehension to improve and perfect this parasitism ability?" Lin Yuan's expression turned thoughtful.
When he had first arrived in this world, Lin Yuan had used his heaven-defying comprehension to create a cultivation method suited for the Demon Tree. Now, he could attempt to improve upon this Demon Seed.
Of course, the Demon Seed was an innate ability of the Demon Tree, and trying to improve and perfect it would be challenging. However, with his heaven-defying comprehension, Lin Yuan was willing to give it a try.
From then on, Lin Yuan focused his efforts in four key areas.
First, he continued to enhance his own strength by devouring more demonic beasts and vicious creatures, propelling his growth.
Second, he refined and perfected the seventh stage of the martial evolution path.
Third, he delved into the remaining core spatial models.
Although he no longer had the frequent spatial fluctuations of the battlefield of the alien races to aid his understanding, Lin Yuan now had more time. With his heaven-defying comprehension, he could elevate his understanding of spatial rules to an unimaginable level during his planned six hundred years of stay.
And fourth, he experimented with improving the Demon Seeds.
Even though the Demon Seeds were a critical tool for the Demon Ancestor Tree, Lin Yuan intended to devote some effort and time to this endeavor. Success would be rewarding, and failure would not incur any losses.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, another period had gone by.
Deep within the Black Mist Mountains.
Lin Yuan's figure once again soared, now reaching a height of fifty meters. The Demon Tree, with its drooping branches and swaying canopy, exuded an extraordinary presence.
Even this height was a result of Lin Yuan's extreme suppression. If he allowed it to grow unchecked, the Demon Tree would easily surpass a thousand meters, making it stand out in the Black Mist Mountains.
After all, the Demon Ancestor Tree in the extradimensional realm was of unknown height, and a single branch could produce millions or even tens of millions of Demon Seeds.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to hold its ground against the Celestial Blue World for so long.
"My strength has temporarily reached its limit," Lin Yuan acknowledged. "Devouring more ordinary demonic beasts and vicious creatures won't yield significant results."
Lin Yuan's mental waves slowly spread out as he gazed into the depths of the Black Mist Mountains, towards the abode of the supreme 'King'.
(End of Chapter)
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