Chapter 1246: Fruit Tree Genesis
Chapter 1246: Fruit Tree Genesis
Concealed from view, Sun Erlang observed the battle between the Five Elders Council cultivators and the great ape, a sense of gravity slowly settling over him.
"So strong..."
That was his assessment of the squad before him.
There were no spiritual energy fluctuations, and the destructive range of their techniques was confined to a specific area, making it impossible for Sun Erlang to gauge their exact cultivation levels.
But based solely on their combat coordination, their fearless composure in the face of crisis, and their overall battlefield discipline, this squad was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Even considering the foes he had encountered in the simulated worlds of the Dao Transformation Stone, this team still ranked among the absolute elite.
What astonished Sun Erlang even more were their methods of attack and healing.
Besides their various artifacts, the cultivators occasionally deployed peculiar items—books, wine cups, even necklaces—that provided buffs to their allies while inflicting a range of debuffs on the great ape.
When a cultivator of the New Method had their body destroyed, it took at least a few breaths to be reborn from their grotto-heaven.
But these people? A flash of white light was all it took to instantly mend even the most grievous wounds. One moment, a cultivator would be struck by the ape and on the verge of death; the next, bathed in that white light, they would be back on their feet, full of vigor.
No matter how tough its hide was, the great ape couldn't withstand such a relentless war of attrition.
Stranger still, the beast seemed stubbornly single-minded, showing no inclination to flee.
It fought until its very last breath before crashing to the ground.
The moment the great ape died, it dissolved into a brilliant golden light that surged into the bodies of the cultivators who had slain it.
The group immediately broke into cheers.
"Damn, the boss that spawned this time was a real tank. Good thing we brought enough supplies, or we would've been wiped for sure."
"The experience payout is pretty good, too. I'm close to breaking through to the next level."
"It's a shame, though. The [Sacred Snow Ape Armor] from its bestiary entry didn't drop. If it had, we would've really hit the jackpot."
This last comment drew a chorus of agreement and sighs from the squad.
Sun Erlang, however, listened to this utterly baffling conversation with a strange expression.
"Let's go. Nothing else good around here. Time to head back to the [Land of Carefree Joy]."
"This [Xuanhuang Realm] really is no place for people. If it weren't for the mission, I wouldn't want to set foot in this place."
The squad of cultivators filed onto the ship hovering in the sky, their discussions continuing.
The vessel was enveloped in a rainbow-colored light and vanished from the sky as if by teleportation.
Sun Erlang stared at the spot where they had disappeared, while the Dao Transformation Stone in his mind replayed the recorded scene over and over.
"Land of Carefree Joy..."
"That must be the domain of the Wuyou Immortal Venerable. It seems quite different from the rest of the Xuanhuang Realm."
"And they call the Xuanhuang Realm 'no place for people'... Interesting."
"Perhaps this is something I should report to Master."
Though these thoughts ran through his mind, Sun Erlang did not attempt to track the strange ship.
Mindful of the task his master had given him, he continued his journey toward the Realm of Reality.
Three days later, after passing through a barrier of white mist, Sun Erlang distinctly felt a change in the fabric of the world around him.
"The province I was just in belongs to the [Human Dao Heavenly Realm]. This, then, must be the [Realm of Reality]."
Sun Erlang knew that within the borders of the Realm of Reality, under the pervasive law of the Immortal Venerable, no cultivator could tell a lie.
Consequently, he proceeded with even greater caution.
As a newcomer, he was unfamiliar with everything here. Sun Erlang decided to first gather some intelligence before figuring out how to gain an audience with the Immortal Venerable.
Compared to the Human Dao Heavenly Realm, the Realm of Reality seemed far more peaceful. Patrols of Five Elders Council cultivators were a rare sight.
The line between mortals and cultivators was also less distinct.
He could see from a distance that they lived together in the same cities.
"Those are indeed mortals, without a shred of cultivation. It seems the power of the Immortal-Mortal Miasma is suppressed here."
After careful observation, Sun Erlang reached this conclusion.
What he found even more novel was that social standing here was not determined by one's cultivation level.
He even witnessed a young Golden Core cultivator bowing respectfully to an elderly mortal.
The sight left him marveling in wonder.
After three days of covert observation, although he had gained a general understanding of the customs and culture of the Realm of Reality, he still hadn't found a suitable opening.
"I can't just stand in the middle of the street and shout that I'm here to see the Zhenshi Immortal Venerable, can I?"
Just as Sun Erlang was at his wit's end, he suddenly noticed several outsiders, just like himself.
"People from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?" Sun Erlang narrowed his eyes.
Following them and eavesdropping for a while, Sun Erlang quickly understood their situation.
These four cultivators had been captured during the conflict between the Five Elders Council and the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. They were now "naturalized" members undergoing a probationary period.
Their freedom was not restricted, and they were permitted to travel throughout the three major domains of the Five Elders Council, with the exception of the Land of Carefree Joy.
"Brother Xu, what do you think of the Five Elders Council compared to the Alliance?"
The men were all dressed in conspicuous, prison-like green robes. A middle-aged man with a long beard posed the question to his companion.
The cultivator surnamed Xu seemed not yet fully recovered from a serious injury, his face pale. He coughed lightly before answering, "Compared to the Alliance, it is indeed much freer and more relaxed."
"True, we have to sign that soul contract. But back in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, even without a contract, could we ever refuse an order? In my opinion, it's really not that different."
Another, younger cultivator chimed in, "Exactly. And here, once you sign the contract, you have access to all the techniques and resources you could want. As long as you show enough talent, your potential for growth is limitless. No one holds you back or suppresses you. Not like that Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, hmph..."
The long-bearded man's expression soured, but he couldn't help but agree with them.
"It seems, Brother Wang Yang, you still harbor illusions about the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance!" the cultivator named Xu noted Wang Yang's expression and sneered.
"You may remember the Alliance, but does the Alliance remember you? I've never heard of a single cultivator captured by the Five Elders Council successfully escaping back. Besides, even if you were lucky enough to get out, the Alliance would probably just brand you a spy and arrest you on the spot."
Wang Yang's face shifted between shades of anger and despair, but in the end, he could only let out a long sigh, unable to refute the claim.
An awkward silence fell over the four of them.
"By the way," the young cultivator finally said, breaking the tension, "that senior who briefed us on the Five Elders Council mentioned that cultivators in every province have a chance to meet the Immortal Venerables directly. I wonder if that's true."
"On that point, Brother Zhang, you can rest easy. I've already looked into it, and it's absolutely true. However, the methods to see the Immortal Venerables vary from place to place, and without exception, they are all incredibly difficult. Only the most peerless prodigies can succeed."
"Take the [One Heart Immortal Sect], for example. If you can achieve a twenty-fight winning streak in their designated duels, proving yourself unmatched, there's a high probability you'll be summoned before the [Yixin Immortal Venerable]."
"Or here in the [Realm of Reality]," Xu continued, his words flowing freely, "it is said that all you need to do is sit and meditate under the True Fruit Tree. The longer you can persist, the better your chances of receiving the Immortal Venerable's guidance."
"I've attempted the trial of the True Fruit Tree myself..." Xu said, pausing deliberately.
Only when the others' gazes were fixed on him did he continue, "Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!"
"As you all know, lies do not exist within the Realm of Reality. Yet the trial of the True Fruit Tree is to weave lies as best you can!"
Xu's expression grew peculiar. "Sitting beneath the fruit, it's as if you become an omnipotent creator god. You must conjure something from nothing, fabricating an illusion, another world. The richer and more realistic the world's details, the longer you can withstand the tree's scouring."
"Wait a moment..." Wang Yang couldn't help but interrupt.
"Are there any restrictions on weaving this world? If not, wouldn't it be easy to just use the unique scenery of a small world from the Xuanhuang Realm as a substitute?"
Xu shook his head. "At the very least, any small world that actually exists within the Xuanhuang Realm cannot be manifested in the fruit's illusion. It's like..."
He mulled it over for a moment before saying slowly, "It's a bit like the principle that 'a Law cannot be cultivated by more than one.' A world copied wholesale, a carbon copy, will crumble into dust the moment it's formed. Only something completely fabricated can remain stable and endure the fruit's trial. It's a bit esoteric to describe in words. But you'll understand once you experience it for yourselves."
"Even if you don't end up meeting the Zhenshi Immortal Venerable, just meditating under the True Fruit Tree is a tremendous opportunity for cultivators like us. Weaving a world involves countless aspects of the Great Dao. It's something impossible to achieve with our own power alone. During the trial, you're mostly borrowing the tree's power. It's as if the Immortal Venerable lends you his brush to help you paint..." Xu's expression grew distant, as if reliving that wondrous experience.
"What is the Immortal Venerable's purpose in doing this?" Wang Yang asked with a slight frown.
Xu scoffed. "Purpose? Why worry about that? All I know is that completing the trial comes with no downside, but offers a very real chance of attaining enlightenment and breaking through. An opportunity like this would be reserved for a select few in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. But here in the Five Elders Council, everyone has a chance to try."
"The True Fruit Tree takes root in illusion and blossoms in every city. Anyone who is interested can sit beneath it and meditate."
"It seems the next appearance of the fruit is not far off. You can all experience it for yourselves. If it weren't for the one-chance-per-lifetime rule, I would definitely savor the opportunity to play creator again," Xu said with a touch of regret.
The other three wore varied expressions.
But Sun Erlang, eavesdropping from a distance, narrowed his eyes.
"What a coincidence. Just as I was getting stumped, someone comes along with the solution? Could it be that I've been discovered, and this is some kind of trap?"
The thought immediately flashed through Sun Erlang's mind.
"No, that can't be it. It's more likely that Master already knew that each domain of the Five Elders Council had a direct path to its respective Immortal Venerable, which is why he sent me on this journey. Under normal circumstances, what chance would an outsider have of meeting a Longevity realm being, the supreme ruler?" After a moment of contemplation, enlightenment dawned on Sun Erlang.
"The True Fruit, is it?"
An idea stirred in Sun Erlang's heart.
He possessed the Dao Transformation Stone and the memories of living another life in its simulated world. Participating in this so-called genesis under the fruit tree should give him an edge.
"I'll give it a try first. If it doesn't work, I'll think of another way."
Having made his decision, Sun Erlang began to wait patiently.
More than twenty days passed. Then one day, a stir broke the city's calm.
A shadow spread rapidly from the city center across the ground.
It enveloped the entire city.
Then, a lush, verdant tree, looking both real and illusory, rose from within the shadow.
Hanging from its branches were numerous glistening, tender fruits that captured one's gaze and refused to let go.
"The True Fruit Tree has appeared. It will remain for seven days and seven nights. All beings within this domain may seek enlightenment beneath it."
Ding!
A crisp bell toll echoed, spreading into the distance.
The resonant voice descended from the heavens, appearing in everyone's ears.
"We thank the Immortal Venerable for this grace!"
Throughout the Realm of Reality, countless beings bowed in unison to express their gratitude.
They did so three times, the echoes lingering in the air.
Once the formalities were concluded, cultivators began to walk into the shadow of the True Fruit Tree, closing their eyes and sitting in meditation.
The city instantly fell quiet, as if everyone feared disturbing those undergoing the trial.
The group of naturalized Alliance members Sun Erlang had encountered also made their way slowly toward the tree.
Sun Erlang quickly followed.
Along the way, he encountered no one questioning him.
It seemed the Immortal Venerable's decree that "all beings" could try was no empty boast.
Arriving under the canopy of the fruit tree, Sun Erlang saw not only humans but also flying insects and beasts of the field, each occupying a spot in the tree's shade.
This peculiar sight filled Sun Erlang with a sense of awe.
"It is said the sages of old taught all without distinction. It wasn't just humans; all beings in the world could receive their guidance. This Zhenshi Immortal Venerable certainly has a touch of that ancient flavor."
Sun Erlang followed the example of the others and sat down on the ground.
He closed his eyes.
In an instant, Sun Erlang felt the world around him vanish.
The soft, rustling sounds of the city were gone, replaced by a profound silence.
Though his eyes were closed, Sun Erlang felt as if he had opened them again.
Before him was a vast, white nothingness.
"Create a world..."
A stream of rules and information flowed into his mind.
"First, the general state of the world."
Sun Erlang began to set the parameters based on the simulated world he had experienced in the Dao Transformation Stone.
The blank world began to take on color.
But to his surprise, just as the world was about to fully materialize, it collapsed like a sandcastle.
It reverted to a blank void.
"So even a world adapted from the Xuanhuang Realm is not allowed?"
"It has to be a completely fictional world?"
Sun Erlang couldn't help but frown slightly.
But then, a flash of inspiration struck him. He remembered a world his master had once used as an example during a lesson.
An idea took shape in his mind.
"The Immortal Dao is not manifest; only matter endures."
(End of Chapter)
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