Chapter 396: Dragonwood Island Lord
Chapter 396: Dragonwood Island Lord
"Seekwood Heavenly Realm..."
Chen Mu studied the map, his eyes filled with contemplation.
Previously, he had gained much knowledge about Seekwood Heavenly Realm from Moon Petal and Shadow Petal, but the details on this map drawn by Yan Hong surpassed their knowledge. The map depicted a vast and intricate world centered around a towering giant tree, its branches stretching out to form an expansive domain.
According to the map, this giant tree was 'Seekwood', and the place with the highest concentration of Seekwood Spirit Liquid was undoubtedly its main trunk and root system, located at the very center of Seekwood Heavenly Realm.
However.
That area was also marked in deep red on the map, indicating the most dangerous region!
The danger didn't solely originate from the fact that it was the heartland of the Spirit People, guarded by their Ancestor, but also because it was the core of Seekwood Heavenly Realm, where the Earth Meridian and the Dragonwood tree's veins were located. It was also the site of the 'Seekwood Ancestral Array', a formation with immense power.
Chen Mu had learned about this formation from the Joyful Desire Path, and knew that its might was no less than the grand arrays established by the renowned sects and clans in Daxuan. It was powerful enough to suppress Blood Replacement Realm cultivators, and in some ways, even more perilous than the Spirit People Ancestor!
Regardless of the circumstances, the core of Seekwood Heavenly Realm, the heartland of the Spirit People, has always been a forbidden zone. Even though they knew that the heart of the tree was the source of Seekwood Spirit Liquid, with an unimaginable amount stored, it was an impossible target to capture.
Within Seekwood Heavenly Realm, the only things they could acquire were the partial Spirit Liquid contained in special tree knots or the Spirit Liquid born in the root system beneath the tree, scattered and sparse.
"The core of Seekwood Heavenly Realm is a forbidden zone. Even true Blood Replacement Realm experts would gain nothing by entering. It's not our goal this time. Our objective is to attack several key points, which usually have Spirit People or their formation defenses, but they are far from the core Ancestral Array, so their might is not fully unleashed."
Yan Hong stood nearby, occasionally providing additional intelligence about Seekwood Heavenly Realm.
Seekwood Heavenly Realm is vast.
The Spirit People don't actively engage in large-scale battles with invaders from Daxuan and the outside world. In past confrontations, they relied on their geographical advantage to handle the invading Grandmasters from Daxuan and the outside world.
With their current strength, as long as they don't approach the core of Seekwood Heavenly Realm or directly encounter the Spirit People Ancestor, they can basically act without restraint, and there won't be much danger.
"The heart of Seekwood Heavenly Realm is a forbidden zone, and the formation there is formidable. If it's as powerful as rumored, brewing a massive amount of Seekwood Spirit Liquid, it's indeed one of my objectives. My plan is to first explore and gather enough Seekwood Spirit Liquid, and then attempt to refine my Heaven and Earth Body to perfection!"
Once his Heaven and Earth Body reaches perfection, his strength will take another leap, and defeating the Spirit People Ancestor head-on might become a possibility. He might even have a chance to break through their tree heart formation!
However, this plan requires careful strategizing.
Primarily, he understands that facing a Blood Replacement Realm expert like the Spirit People Ancestor, if they personally command the core of the formation, it would be extremely difficult to deal with, even for Heaven Person Realm experts.
Just like the Supreme Elder of the Seven Xuan Sect, if they encounter Heaven Person Realm experts outside their sect, they can only flee in disarray. But within their sect, commanding the Heaven and Earth Dragon Locking Array, they fear no Heaven Person Realm expert.
Therefore, to breach the Spirit People's tree heart forbidden zone and obtain the treasures within the tree heart, they might need to lure out the Spirit People Ancestor. Based on past exploration attempts, the Spirit People Ancestor doesn't usually stay in the tree heart forbidden zone the entire time, and occasionally conceals their energy to venture out, causing casualties to invaders from the outside world and Daxuan.
All plans must be made after entering, as while he isn't afraid of the Spirit People Ancestor, actually dealing with them is another matter. Therefore, a team like Yan Hong's is very useful.
On one hand, they can help lure out the Spirit People Ancestor, and on the other hand, they can somewhat distract them in combat.
As Chen Mu contemplated, Yan Hong approached and handed him a small flag emitting a faint spiritual light.
"This is..."
Chen Mu took the flag and examined it briefly, sensing its energy. His eyes flashed with a hint of recognition, as if he had seen something similar in the Yulin Army.
"A military formation flag?"
Chen Mu asked straightforwardly.
Yan Hong shook her head, then nodded, and explained, "Not exactly, but it's similar. This is a Spirit Weapon, named Seventy-Two Earthly Stars Battle Flag, ranked sixty-ninth on the Daxuan Spirit Armament List.
Upon hearing Yan Hong's words, Chen Mu nodded slightly.
He didn't pay much attention to the Grand Proclamation Grandmaster Rankings, merely skimming through it, but he had thoroughly read the Spirit Armament Rankings. After all, he currently lacked a suitable Spirit Armament, and although some of the Spirit Armaments listed might not be a perfect match for him, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to acquire one if given the chance.
He was also quite familiar with the Seventy-Two Earthly Slaughter Formation Flags, which were said to have been crafted by the Grand Proclamation Empire shortly after its establishment, using resources gathered from across the land. While the flags didn't possess augmentation abilities, they were capable of converging the Primordial Energy Breaths of many people into one place!
It was rumored that if seventy-two Grandmasters each held one of the flags and activated the complete Seventy-Two Earthly Slaughter Grand Formation, they could even trap or suppress a Heaven Person Realm expert!
However, over the course of a thousand years, many of these Spirit Armaments had been damaged, and the number of remaining flags was far less than 'seventy-two,' with even whether half of them still existed being uncertain. This was one of the reasons why the Spirit Armament was currently ranked sixty-ninth, as it was said to have once been ranked within the top ten of the Grand Proclamation Empire.
Yan Hong, as one of the few Grandmasters within the Imperial Family, held a certain status. She had brought this Spirit Armament with her to participate in the exploration of the Seekwood Heavenly Realm, but it was unknown how many flags she had brought in total.
"With this formation, we can temporarily link our Primordial Energy Breaths together to form an array. Even if we encounter the Spiritrace Clan Ancestor, we won't be completely helpless. We can at least hold out for a while, and that Ancestor would never dare stay away from the Tree Heart Forbidden Ground for long. As soon as they realize it's difficult to defeat us, they'll quickly retreat."
Yan Hong shared many past exploration experiences and intelligence about the Seekwood Heavenly Realm.
Chen Mu, on the other hand, was intrigued by the flag in his hand, carefully studying and sensing the internal array structure. It was indeed quite profound in his perception, blending the intricacies of military formations and resembling the Heaven-Earth Dragon Locking Array, relying on the 'array base.' But this array base was alive, capable of movement, unlike a mere lifeless object.
The group quietly gathered in a corner, studying maps and discussing plans for entering the Seekwood Heavenly Realm, while Chen Mu silently listened, mostly keeping to himself. The others assumed he wasn't one for words, and they didn't think much of it, except for Liu Qingyan, whose gaze occasionally drifted towards Chen Mu, revealing a thoughtful expression.
"Mu Chen..."
She muttered his name, and a hint of strangeness flashed through her eyes as she looked at Chen Mu, but she quickly concealed it.
Judging from the surface Vital Flow, Chen Mu's presence was well-hidden, and one could only discern that he was a formidable Grandmaster, with other aspects being difficult to ascertain, including the complete Heaven and Earth Force.
Just because Yan Hong and the others couldn't guess, doesn't mean Yan Hong's Imagination
As the Grandmaster of the Joyful Union Sect, Yan Hong had received intelligence from Dragonwood Island not long ago!
Mu Chen...
Chen Mu, this unfamiliar Grandmaster who had suddenly appeared—could he be Mu Chen?
Liu Qingyan didn't know if others had guessed Chen Mu's true identity, but at least she herself, after this brief period of interaction and observation, was seventy to eighty percent certain. However, she kept it to herself, silently concealing it.
She had come to Dragonwood Island to obtain the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl and forge a positive connection with Chen Mu. Now, if she could travel with Chen Mu, it would be even better. With Chen Mu's strength, upon reaching the Seekwood Heavenly Realm, he would be one of the most powerful existences, capable of moving about without fear, aside from the Spiritrace Clan Ancestor.
Chen Mu noticed Liu Qingyan's gaze, but he didn't approach her.
Currently, Dragonwood Island was a mixed bag, with over a hundred Grandmasters gathered on the surface, but in truth, there were likely more than one or two Blood Replacement Realm experts hiding in the shadows, not to mention the Dragonwood Island Lord and other Blood Replacement Realm experts from Tide Listening Cliff.
Regardless of how poor the flow of information was outside, a major sect like Tide Listening Cliff would undoubtedly have a clear understanding of Chen Mu by now. He couldn't tell whether Tide Listening Cliff's attitude towards him was friendly or hostile.
In any case, only upon entering the Seekwood Heavenly Realm, where all Blood Replacement Realm experts would be blocked, would he be able to move about freely. Being in Dragonwood Island's territory was, in fact, the most dangerous environment, and even though Liu Qingyan was trustworthy, Chen Mu refrained from excessive conversation.
As for after leaving the Seekwood Heavenly Realm...
One must read the original novel to find out!
Chen Mu's gaze deepened.
His goal within the Seekwood Heavenly Realm was to refine his Heaven-Earth Body to perfection, or even to the limit. By then, even facing a Heaven Person Realm expert, he would have no fear, and neither Tide Listening Cliff's attitude nor other dangers would matter.
(End of Chapter)
Whether it was goodwill or hostility, it didn't matter.
After about half a day, more Grandmasters gradually arrived. Those gathered beneath the Dragon Tree's crown were no longer in small groups of two or three, but had formed into clusters. The smaller teams had six or seven members, while the larger ones had as many as twenty or thirty.
At that moment, a voice filled with authority echoed from above the sky.
"I, the Dragonwood Island Lord, invite you all to gather on Dragonwood Island. I greet you all."
The voice carried the aura of a Blood Replacement Realm expert, causing the entire world's energy to tremble. Yet, it also held a polite tone, without a hint of arrogance.
The Dragonwood Island Lord was a Blood Replacement Realm master, almost at the pinnacle below the Heaven Person Realm. Among the hundreds of Grandmasters present, some were renowned young talents from the Great Xuan and the Outer Sea.
Indeed, with so many Grandmasters, even if some were older and had no chance of breaking through to the Blood Replacement Realm, there were still younger generations who would eventually reach that level. Even the Dragonwood Island Lord wouldn't underestimate them.
Moreover, the gathering of over a hundred Grandmasters was an incredibly powerful force. Even a Heaven Person Realm expert wouldn't dare to underestimate such a large number of Grandmasters.
As the voice fell silent, a group of young disciples in green robes suddenly appeared. They were disciples of Tide Listening Cliff, and they respectfully carried teapots, cups, and trays. They served tea to the Grandmasters, pouring the tea with reverence.
The tea was crystal clear, like a jade liquid. As it filled the cups, a fragrant spiritual aura wafted through the air, spreading in all directions.
"This is the Seekwood Spirit Tea, made from the tenderest new leaves of the Seekwood Tree and infused with Seekwood Spirit Liquid. It has the effect of purifying the mind and soul, though for you Grandmasters, it might not be of much use. Please enjoy."
The Dragonwood Island Lord's voice echoed again.
This time, however, the voice didn't transmit through the heavens but came from a figure in a long robe who had appeared beneath the towering Dragonwood Tree. He held a cup of spirit tea and smiled at the gathered Grandmasters.
"Greetings, Island Lord."
"Please, Island Lord."
The closest Grandmasters reacted first, either bowing to the Dragonwood Island Lord or raising their cups in respect.
Chen Mu was among the group with Yan Hong, observing the Island Lord discreetly before turning his attention to the spirit tea. He sensed the spiritual energy within and nodded slightly.
The spirit tea wasn't just a token offering; it held genuine power, but as Grandmasters, they would only take a small sip, and even the finest tea wouldn't have much effect. For it to truly benefit someone like Chen Mu, a substantial amount of genuine Seekwood Spirit Liquid would be required.
At that moment, the Dragonwood Island Lord's gaze casually swept across the crowd.
He had already observed the gathered Grandmasters. Compared to the assembly a hundred years ago, this group was slightly larger but of slightly lower overall quality. Still, the numbers were roughly the same.
This number was just right. With the additional support of the Tide Listening Cliff disciples, they could handle the situation without any significant casualties and with a good chance of success, ensuring they wouldn't return empty-handed.
"The Great Xuan's forces..."
Just then, the Dragonwood Island Lord seemed to notice something and glanced subtly in the direction of Yan Hong's group, but he didn't find anything unusual. A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.
Tide Listening Cliff had a heritage spanning thousands of years, but the Great Xuan Empire ruled over the ninety-nine states, and its depth was equally unfathomable. It wasn't surprising for something unusual to occur, but none of the eight royal princes he remembered were present.
After this thought, the Dragonwood Island Lord withdrew his gaze.
He had no interest in the Great Xuan's power struggles, whether for the imperial throne or control over the ninety-nine states. The Outer Sea was a unique place, and even during the Great Xuan Emperor's unification, it remained untouched. The current court had even less influence over the Outer Sea. The people of the Outer Sea didn't covet the resources of the ninety-nine states, so the outcome of the imperial struggle held no significance for him.
The only thing that mattered was the opening of the Seekwood Heavenly Realm. At his current cultivation level, Seekwood Spirit Liquid had limited benefits, but he had many younger disciples who were just one step away from the Marrow Washing Realm. With enough Seekwood Spirit Liquid, their chances of breaking through would increase by at least ten to twenty percent. It was a resource that both Tide Listening Cliff and Dragonwood Island needed, as it could only be obtained once every hundred years or so.
(Chapter End)
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