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Chapter 383: Evergreen's Demise (Requesting Subscription)

Chapter 383: Evergreen's Demise (Requesting Subscription)

A swamp.

Several thousand-year-old Wood Phantoms roared in unison, like guardian treants.

"I only want a single Spirit Origin Pearl from you. . . why be so stingy?"

Fang Xi coldly snorted, raising a hand.

A bloody lightning bolt flashed, striking one of the Wood Phantoms directly!

In the blink of an eye, the Wood Phantom was reduced to ashes by countless crimson electric arcs.

Seeing this, the other two Wood Phantoms immediately retreated into the swamp, no longer daring to show their heads.

Fang Xi, however, lit up with joy, quickly casting a spell towards a stone platform.

The stone platform rumbled, a crack appearing as dense spiritual energy flowed out.

Following that. . .

A Spirit Origin Pearl slowly floated up from within, landing in Fang Xi's hand.

"It truly is a Spirit Origin Pearl. Its quality should be even better than the one at the previous auction. . ."

After a careful inspection, the joy on his face grew even deeper.

That day, Fang Xi had used a minor trick to trap the Thousand Mechanisms Palace Master, then immediately fled a thousand li away.

He hadn't expected to find a Spirit Origin Pearl while passing through this swamp; it was an unexpected pleasant surprise.

"Forget it. . . more and more high-stage cultivators are entering now. It's better to head to the Green Emperor Hall first!"

Putting away the Spirit Origin Pearl, Fang Xi recalled the map given by Old Ghost.

His advantage over other Nascent Soul cultivators lay precisely here: he wouldn't have to wander around like a headless fly, but could go straight for the jugular, seeking out the most precious spiritual treasures.

Moreover, he would soon reach the destination marked on the map given by Old Ghost.

"I wonder what benefits Zhan Tu has gained. . . with Old Ghost's guidance, he must have acquired even more than I have."

Fang Xi sighed, a hint of longing in his eyes.

It was easy to imagine that the benefits Old Ghost gave Zhan Tu would undoubtedly be greater than those given to him.

He transformed into a streak of green light, vanishing into the horizon in a flash.

...

Green Emperor Hall.

This hall was located at the center of the Long Evergreen Park, a sprawling complex of buildings stretching over a hundred li.

Its four sides featured flying eaves, painted walls, carved railings, and jade foundations. The entire structure glowed with a faint green spiritual light, shrouded in a layer of green mist, making only the general outline of the periphery visible.

Even so, the intricate runes and restrictions made Fang Xi gasp in a cold breath.

And around the Green Emperor Hall, several powerful Divine Consciousnesses constantly lingered, preventing Fang Xi from approaching too closely.

He thought for a moment, then came to a patch of jungle, placing his hand on an ancient tree.

In that instant, he seemed to feel the ancient tree's breathing, the rotation of the four seasons, the cycles of flourishing and decay. . .

Not long after, a green light flashed from a spiritual flower, and a figure emerged from within: it was Zhan Tu, who had arrived using the Wood Escape Art!

"We meet again."

Fang Xi greeted him, his gaze subtly scrutinizing Zhan Tu: "Fellow Daoist has gained quite a lot. . ."

"Alas, don't mention it. . . I encountered two old Nascent Soul devils chasing me, and the treasures I painstakingly acquired were lost again. . ."

Zhan Tu's face was full of bitterness, whether real or feigned.

"Ahead lies the Green Emperor Hall, but there seem to be a few Nascent Soul old monsters lurking nearby. . . it's difficult to make a move."

Fang Xi suddenly sighed, then fixed his burning gaze on Zhan Tu: "I wonder if Fellow Daoist Old Ghost has any insights?"

Zhan Tu's eyes instantly turned a murky yellow, and an aged voice issued from his mouth: "No need to mind them. . . it's not yet time for the Green Emperor Hall to truly open."

"Truly open?"

Fang Xi was somewhat puzzled.

"Hehe. . . the restrictions of this hall are the most stringent within the Long Evergreen Park. . . once it was sealed, it cannot be entered unless the Long Evergreen Park largely collapses."

Old Ghost explained faintly: "However, Fellow Daoist, rest assured, when the mystic realm collapses, even if high-stage cultivators manage to get in, it will be too late. We only need to enter the Green Emperor Hall directly, take the treasures, and then use an ancient teleportation array within it to leave."

"To enter the Green Emperor Hall, take the treasures, and then leave, all under the watchful eyes of numerous Nascent Soul old monsters? Fellow Daoist, you speak so easily. . . " A hint of mockery appeared on Fang Xi's lips: "I have already obtained what I desired, and I will not accompany you on such a perilous adventure again. . ."

"Hehe. . . then how do you intend to leave the mystic realm, Fellow Daoist? " Old Ghost asked calmly.

"With so many cultivators here, there's always a way to leave. . . " Fang Xi replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

Just as the atmosphere between them grew increasingly tense, Zhan Tu suddenly spoke: "There's no need for the two of you to be so confrontational. . . I believe the Island Master also intends to help us, but has conditions."

Cultivators were all shrewd individuals; they naturally understood what the other wanted to say, but Old Ghost clearly wouldn't back down easily, so Zhan Tu needed to provide an opening.

"Precisely. . . if you can provide the Soul Transformation chapter of the Withered Glory Chant, or an advanced divine ability of the 'Withered Glory Mystic Light', I wouldn't mind risking my life to accompany gentlemen and play a crazy game with you."

Fang Xi said calmly.

"Hehe. . . why is Fellow Daoist so concerned with Soul Transformation cultivation methods? Could it be that you are certain you can achieve Soul Transformation in the future? " Old Ghost chuckled.

"That's none of your concern."

Fang Xi's expression gradually turned cold.

"These two inheritances, even if I possessed them, I could not easily impart them due to certain vows."

Old Ghost suddenly said: "Furthermore. . . I indeed do not possess the subsequent divine ability of the Withered Glory Mystic Light. . . but. . . within the Green Emperor Hall, there might be relevant inheritances."

"So you're saying I'd gain nothing? And you want me to accompany you two on a risky venture based only on something that *might* exist?"

Fang Xi suddenly smiled brilliantly: "You two should know, that's impossible."

Old Ghost also fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing something, then finally snorted: "I do not have the complete Soul Transformation chapter of the Withered Glory Chant. . . but I have a fragmented scroll that describes the secret to a Nascent Soul cultivator advancing to Soul Transformation in the Withered Glory Chant. . . theoretically, combined with the late Nascent Soul stage Withered Glory Chant from before, it should allow one to cultivate to the early Soul Transformation stage. This is my absolute bottom line."

"That works too."

Fang Xi pondered for a bit, feeling that he couldn't squeeze any more out of Old Ghost, and finally nodded.

The old ghost tossed out a green jade slip, which Fang Xi caught, then unexpectedly began to inspect it.

Old Ghost watched all this, a cold sneer forming in his heart: 'The cultivation method is naturally real, but whether you have the fate to cultivate it. . . that's another matter. To aim so high before even achieving Nascent Soul. . . if it weren't for needing another helper for the Green Emperor Hall trip, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths. . . However, as long as this person dies in the Green Emperor Hall, it won't count as me violating my vows. '

Following this, Fang Xi and Zhan Tu hid in the jungle, using the essence of the vegetation to conceal themselves.

Time passed, an unknown duration. . .

Rumble!

The earth shook and mountains trembled. The wooden walls surrounding the Long Evergreen Park began to collapse piece by piece. . . bright silver spatial storms flashed, sweeping chunks of spiritual land into their vortex.

The ground's faint tremors finally reached the forest.

"Evergreen destroyed, Green Emperor revealed!"

"I've waited so many years, finally this day has come."

From within an ancient tree, Old Ghost's faint voice transmitted: "Little Zhan, it's time to act."

Crack!

A layer of tree bark peeled away, revealing Zhan Tu's figure.

However, at this moment, his face was withered, his cheeks sunken, and his limbs as thin as dry wood, like a mummified corpse.

This was a secret art accompanying the 'Withered Glory Chant'—the Art of Enduring Death!

It was usually used by cultivators when severely injured, to withdraw all vitality and fall into slumber for healing.

And with a slight modification, one could become like rotten wood, not leaking the slightest aura, perfectly concealing oneself within the abundant spiritual trees omnipresent in the Long Evergreen Park.

On the other side, Fang Xi also emerged from a tree hollow, still looking like a graceful young man.

"Is it starting?"

Fang Xi murmured.

"Of course, but we should change our appearance first."

Old Ghost chuckled, seemingly having offended quite a few cultivators previously.

"Indeed, that's very reasonable."

Fang Xi thought of the Thousand Mechanisms Palace Master and immediately took out a human skin mask from his storage ring, applied it to his face, and changed into a black robe. He now looked like a Core Formation demonic cultivator with a layer of dark demonic light covering his face.

Zhan Tu, using some unknown secret art, transformed into a handsome scholar dressed in ordinary clothes.

"Ordinary Core Formation cultivators are no longer worth our attention, but we still need to pay extra attention to those few Nascent Soul cultivators. . ."

"Let's go!"

The two joined forces, flying towards the Green Emperor Hall.

...

The Green Emperor Hall at this moment was vastly different from before. Countless mists dispersed, and a green pillar of light shot up into the sky.

Its dazzling radiance was clearly visible for a hundred li around!

And now, the restrictions covering the hall seemed to be dissipating bit by bit.

In the plaza in front of the main gate, many cultivators had already gathered.

Most of these cultivators were at the Core Formation stage, subtly forming several circles, each led by a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The white-browed youth toyed with his chilling ice mirror, his gaze sweeping over the many cultivators present, lingering especially on the faces of the Core Formation cultivators, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What? Could it be that my disciples have offended the Ice God Palace?"

The Thousand Mechanisms Palace Master, seeing the few remaining disciples under her being targeted by another Nascent Soul old monster, couldn't help but show a solemn expression.

"Not at all. . . I didn't expect a Nascent Soul cultivator from the East Sea to know the great name of my Ice God Palace."

The white-browed youth said indifferently: "I am merely searching for the remnants of Green Emperor Mountain. . . Fairy, please don't misunderstand."

"So that's it. . . the prestige of the Ice God Palace in the Northern Plains Cultivation World is indeed like thunder to my ears even in the East Sea."

The Thousand Mechanisms Palace Master's tone immediately softened a few points: "Could Fellow Daoist's precious mirror possess a 'truth-piercing' type of divine ability?"

The two Nascent Soul cultivators were about to converse further when they saw a yellow sand, like a giant dragon, descend, from which emerged a bare-footed, coarse-clothed burly man.

This person had tiger eyebrows and leopard eyes, his hair slightly curly and scorched yellow, and his aura seemed to have reached the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage.

Some demonic cultivators from the Western Desert immediately stepped forward and bowed: "Greetings, Dry Sand Shangren. . ."

Dry Sand Shangren's expression was calm, his gaze sweeping around before landing on the white-browed youth and the Thousand Mechanisms Palace Master: "My worthless disciple is dead. . ."

The white-browed youth sneered: "Once in the mystic realm, one cannot blame life or death. Don't say it wasn't done by me; even if I killed him, does Fellow Daoist intend to seek revenge?"

The Thousand Mechanisms Palace Master, however, moved her expression: "Fellow Daoists, there's no need to be so confrontational. . . I did encounter a Nascent Soul old devil; that person particularly enjoys bullying those weaker than him. . . perhaps Dry Sand Shangren's beloved disciple was also killed by that person. . ."