Chapter 291: Demonic Forest, Spirit Core, Northern Sky Boundary, Tianlan Sect
Arrival in the Great Thousand World
Xiao Tiance passed through the barrier and found himself plummeting from hundreds of meters in the air.
"What's this?" he thought, startled.
Looking around, he realized he was suspended high above the ground, and his Dou Qi had been completely suppressed, rendering it unusable. Even though he attempted to use it to slow his descent, nothing happened.
Despite this, Xiao Tiance remained calm. His body, honed to the level of a Dou Emperor, was strong enough to survive even a fall from several kilometers without injury.
Boom!
Moments later, Xiao Tiance landed with such force that his legs sank into the earth, embedding his calves into the ground.
"Who would've thought that entering the Great Thousand World would immediately result in the suppression of my Dou Qi by the World Spirit? Fascinating," he murmured, shaking his head with mild amusement.
He could have used his powerful soul force or spirit arrays to slow his fall, but there was no need to reveal his abilities in an unfamiliar environment.
Pulling his legs free, Xiao Tiance took in his surroundings. He appeared to be in a valley surrounded by towering mountains, streams, and massive ancient trees that stretched into the heavens.
However, something felt off. The area was eerily silent. No beasts roamed, no birds sang only the rustle of leaves in the wind and the faint sound of running water broke the silence.
"Where am I?" Xiao Tiance wondered, his wariness rising.
Despite the unsettling atmosphere, Xiao Tiance stayed composed. Acting rashly in an unfamiliar world would be foolish. Retrieving a longsword from his spatial ring, he began walking toward the sound of flowing water.
The Forest of Demonic Trees
Xiao Tiance soon came upon a forest. Though its area seemed small, it exuded an uncanny and foreboding presence.
"I need to investigate," he thought. Activating his soul force, he sent out waves of energy to probe the forest.
Suddenly, his expression darkened.
Through his soul sense, he discovered that every tree in the forest pulsed with life not in the natural, vegetal sense, but like sentient beings. These trees felt alive, like predatory creatures waiting for prey.
A faint metallic tang reached his nose, and he spotted a nearby tree moving its branches unnaturally. What caught his attention next sent a chill through him: skeletal remains of animals hung from its branches, their energy drained entirely.
"So, this is a forest of demonic trees," Xiao Tiance murmured, understanding at last.
Swoosh!
A sharp branch shot toward him, aiming for his heart. Xiao Tiance's sword flashed, slicing the branch cleanly in two.
But he frowned. That single attack required him to exert three tenths of his strength an unusual amount considering his body's formidable durability. If larger trees in the forest attacked, he would face significant challenges.
"Master, why not try using your heavenly flame?" Ling'er's voice rang out from within him.
"Of course fire counters wood!" Xiao Tiance's expression brightened.
He summoned a flame, Golden Emperor Flame of Burning Heaven, which burst forth from his palm. Its golden glow illuminated the forest, radiating intense heat.
Roar!
An unearthly cacophony erupted as the forest reacted to the flame. It wasn't the sound of rustling leaves but the anguished cries of wild beasts.
"So, you fear fire, do you?" Xiao Tiance remarked.
Although not as potent as the flames of Gu Xun'er or the Nirvana Flames of Huang Jiuji and Ling Yun, the Golden Emperor Flame of Burning Heaven had been cultivated for thousands of years. Strengthened further during Xiao Tiance's rise to Dou Emperor, its destructive power was undeniable.
The Golden Spirit Eagle
From the tree Xiao Tiance had just cut, a glowing orb emerged, shattering to release a massive golden bird resembling an eagle. The creature, easily 40–50 meters in length, charged toward Xiao Tiance with incredible speed.
In a blink, it was upon him.
Xiao Tiance didn't dare underestimate it. With his Dou Qi sealed, his combat strength was a fraction of its former glory. Opting for agility, he performed an iron bridge maneuver to avoid the bird's sharp talons.
As it passed overhead, Xiao Tiance launched himself upward, landing on the eagle's back. Without hesitation, he drove his sword into its body.
Boom!
The bird screeched in pain, but its reaction was swift. Golden feathers exploded outward like blades, forcing Xiao Tiance to leap off its back to avoid injury.
Landing lightly on the ground, Xiao Tiance stared at the bird, noting its formidable strength.
"Master, that bird carries a Spirit Core! If you can kill it, refining the core will give you a significant boost in adapting to spiritual energy," Ling'er informed him.
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance's gaze sharpened. "Good. Let's see what it's worth."
The golden bird let out a deafening cry, summoning nearby trees to join its assault. Branches and roots surged toward Xiao Tiance like an army of spears.
Gripping his sword tightly, Xiao Tiance activated his sword technique, slicing through the oncoming branches with precision. Meanwhile, the Golden Emperor Flame of Burning Heaven spread around him, incinerating anything that came too close.
The bird lunged again, its claws glowing with a golden hue as it tried to crush Xiao Tiance.
"You'll regret this," Xiao Tiance muttered. Using a burst of speed, he sidestepped the attack and leaped into the air, delivering a devastating slash across the bird's neck.
Screech!
The bird let out a final cry before collapsing, its body dissolving into golden light. Left behind was a gleaming Spirit Core, pulsating with raw energy.
Xiao Tiance grabbed the core, feeling its immense power resonate in his hands.
"Not bad. This will be useful," he remarked.
As the forest grew silent once more, Xiao Tiance turned his gaze toward the horizon. "Time to move forward. This world won't wait for me to catch my breath."
With the Spirit Core safely stored in his ring and his resolve unshaken, he pressed onward, determined to uncover what the Great Thousand World had in store for him.
In an instant, the massive bird exploded into light beams, vanishing completely.
"This thing… could it be a Spirit Core?" Xiao Tiance wondered.
Spirit Cores were remnants obtained from slain spirit beasts, akin to their souls or their essence. They came in varying grades:
Low grade Spirit Cores from weaker beasts (Lingdong Realm).
Mid grade Spirit Cores from stronger ones (Linglun Realm).
High grade Spirit Cores comparable to Shenpo Realm cultivators.
Although Xiao Tiance couldn't determine the exact strength of the giant bird, it posed little threat. His simple sword thrust had been enough to dispel it. Moreover, the energy from the bird's disintegration didn't return to the forest but dissipated entirely, confirming it posed no residual danger.
With his doubts quelled, Xiao Tiance relaxed slightly. Even with his current strength reduced to just a fraction, dispatching these strange entities wasn't a challenge. The only issue lay in crossing the forest's central area, where towering magical trees stood like sentinels.
However, these demonic trees clearly feared his Golden Emperor Flame of Burning Heaven.
Looking over the eerie forest, Xiao Tiance ignited the golden flame once more. The moment it blazed to life, the forest erupted into chaos. Hundreds of glowing spheres, resembling the Spirit Core of the bird, materialized and began swirling menacingly.
Xiao Tiance smirked. "If you're this terrified of my flame, then this will be easy."
Without waiting for the light spheres to coalesce into spirit beasts, he hurled the flame into the heart of the forest.
Boom!
The flames exploded, spreading rapidly. The Golden Emperor Flame of Burning Heaven ranked fourth among all heavenly flames was a rare treasure even in the Great Thousand World. Its destructive power was overwhelming, leaving Xiao Tiance deeply satisfied.
Everything touched by the flame trees, glowing spheres was incinerated completely.
Meanwhile, in Tianlan Sect
Thousands of miles away, atop a towering mountain, an elderly man in gray robes abruptly spat blood. His aura erupted, filling the room with a terrifying pressure as he roared:
"Who dares destroy my Tianlan Sect's Soul Eating Forest?"
Without waiting for a response, the man flew out of the room and hovered above Tianlan Sect. With a deafening shout, he issued an order:
"All Tianlan Sect cultivators at the Shenpo Realm and above, follow me to investigate the Soul Eating Forest!"
"Understood!"
"By your command!"
One after another, 40 to 50 cultivators rose into the sky, gathering around him.
The gray robed elder, Elder Wuyun, looked at the gathered disciples with a trace of satisfaction before leading them to the sect's teleportation array.
In the Tianlan Sect's main hall, a middle aged man in white robes frowned as he watched the group leave through the teleportation array. Gazing into the distance, he muttered to himself:
"The Soul Eating Forest is crucial to our sect's foundation. Who would dare provoke the Tianlan Sect?
"For centuries, no one in the Tian Cang Northern Boundary has had the audacity to challenge us. Perhaps it's time to remind them of our iron rule."
The speaker, Bai Lan, was the 21st Sect Master of Tianlan Sect. With his cultivation at the late Rongtian Realm, he stood on the brink of the transformative Huatian Realm, making him one of the most feared figures in the region.
Beside him stood his wife, a striking woman in red robes, her cultivation at the early Rongtian Realm. Together, they were a formidable pair, capable of challenging even Huatian experts.
"Lan ge, could Elder Wuyun have misjudged the situation?" she asked softly. "The Soul Eating Forest is our sect's prized resource for harvesting Spirit Cores. Everyone in the Tian Cang Northern Boundary knows it belongs to us.
"Decades ago, we waged bloody wars to seize the forest from rival sects. Who would dare challenge us now?
"Moreover, the forest is protected by spirit arrays crafted by over a dozen Tier 3 Array Masters and one Tier 4 Array Master. No one could infiltrate it unnoticed."
Bai Lan nodded. "You're right. Still, Wuyun has inscribed his soul mark onto the forest. For him to react so violently, something serious must have happened.
"Even so, his strength is second only to mine. At mid Rongtian Realm, with his elusive movement techniques and ruthless methods, even the leaders of other major factions wouldn't dare cross him lightly."
He sighed, then added, "Let's wait for news. If Wuyun can't handle it, we'll act."
His wife smiled reassuringly. "I doubt it'll come to that. With our spirit arrays in place, no one can breach the forest. If they could, they'd already be storming our sect."
Bai Lan chuckled. "True. If they could bypass the arrays, they wouldn't need to bother with the forest."
Back in the Forest
Within just 20 breaths, the entire forest was reduced to ash by the Golden Emperor Flame of Burning Heaven. Xiao Tiance surveyed the smoldering ruins with a faint smirk before leaping over the remnants to reach a nearby stream.
Splash!
Scooping up water, he washed his face, feeling instantly refreshed. Kneeling by a pool in the stream, he noticed two fish swimming lazily.
Using his soul force, he plucked the fish from the water.
"Huh… there's something unusual about these fish," he mused, sensing the latent energy within them.
(End of Chapter)
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