Chapter 226: A Fog Is Rising!

From this, it was clear that the well-preserved and powerful divine artifacts once housed in the temple had long since been seized by Hong Baiwei and his men.

Hong Baiwei, oh Hong Baiwei... you're practically giving me treasures for free

, Li Yanchu thought to himself.

He paused for a moment in thought, but made no attempt to conceal anything.

He directly stored the treasures into his Universe Pouch. Artifacts like these existed only in legends, and ordinary people wouldn’t even be able to imagine them.

Besides, Ding Rou had already grown somewhat numb to Li Yanchu’s godlike methods.

After killing Hong Baiwei, Li Yanchu continued exploring the temple, and even ate seven or eight of the dates in succession. Only then did the intense pain in his chest finally subside.

Hong Baiwei’s divine bow had contained a fierce and tyrannical killing power. If not for the talisman armor Li Yanchu wore, he likely wouldn’t have been able to withstand the attack at all.

After passing through a dark and eerie side hall of the temple, Li Yanchu arrived at a vast, open square. Massive stone pillars stood all around the square, bearing the marks of blade strikes and fire damage. There was no trace of the ethereal aura one might expect from an immortal sect’s sacred ground; on the contrary, it felt more like a giant execution ground.

At the center of the square stood a towering divine tree, its branches lush and flourishing, radiating an ancient and desolate aura.

Beneath the tree stood four people.

There was Chen Yang of the Court of Judicial Review, wielding a long spear; Xiao Ce, with twin sabers at his waist; and the burly monk Jiekong.

The fourth was a graceful woman in white with her face veiled, standing at a distance from the others. A sense of mystery surrounded her, and she was impossible to read.

Li Yanchu greeted Chen Yang and Xiao Ce, then walked with Ding Rou over to the tree. Only then did they realize why the four had been standing there all this time.

There was an invisible barrier surrounding the divine tree, which was extremely powerful. Just standing nearby, one could feel the killing intent it contained. It was ancient beyond words.

Even when standing beneath the divine tree without getting too close, one could still sense the abundant spirit qi emanating from it. This was completely different from the lifeless, deathly atmosphere of the Mount Jinting's Blissful Land ruins. It was filled with a sense of ethereal immortality. One could even faintly hear celestial music whispering by their ears.

On the enormous divine tree, a cluster of golden light quietly shimmered atop a branch; it was brilliant and radiant like a miniature sun!

Could this be the Fusang Tree? Is the path to immortality hidden within it?

Li Yanchu was inwardly astonished.

He could clearly feel that the ancient restriction was gradually weakening.

Meanwhile, that ball of golden light grew ever more dazzling. This scene marked the imminent appearance of a great treasure.

Whenever a rare treasure is born from heaven and earth, it is always accompanied by omens.

“This divine tree, which may be the legendary Fusang Tree... Is it truly a source of immortal fortune, or a demonic tree leading to corruption?”

Caution surged in Li Yanchu’s eyes. He wasn’t the least bit tempted by the mystical, otherworldly scene before him.

Master Jiekong, who by right should treat all worldly things as filth, merely said calmly, “Amitabha. The treasure is about to emerge. Let’s rely on our own abilities when the time comes.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself, monk. You think anyone needs your reminder?” Xiao Ce chuckled.

Master Jiekong remained unmoved, his eyes burning with fervor as he gazed at the golden light on the tree.

It must be a great fortune... an immortal fortune...!

he thought to himself.

The woman in white had sharp, heroic eyes. Her gaze was clear, not with the innocence of a young girl, but the calm detachment of one who had seen through the world’s affairs.

Time ticked by. The ancient restriction around the towering divine tree gradually weakened, then finally vanished. Everyone clearly felt the oppressive force on their bodies lift in an instant.

Multiple figures vanished from where they stood, streaking through the air toward the massive divine tree below.

Chen Yang, Xiao Ce, and Master Jiekong were all outstanding figures among men. In this Blissful Land, each had encountered their own opportunities, and their cultivation realms were far beyond what ordinary people could hope to match.

Boom!

Boom!

The three clashed in a chaotic melee. To prevent the white-robed woman from seizing the immortal fortune in the confusion, they directly dragged her into the battle as well.

The spectacle was overwhelming in scale.

However, at that very moment, that ball of golden light suddenly soared into the sky, streaking through the air with dazzling speed.

Everyone's expressions changed drastically. They immediately unleashed fierce, deadly techniques, intending to trap the golden light.

Chen Yang, with the Innate Five Elemental Qi Constitution, activated his spear. He unleashed a force powerful enough to split mountains and shatter stones, striking straight at the golden light!

But the golden light was incredibly fast, and it nimbly dodged Chen Yang’s spear. Seeing this, Chen Yang’s gaze turned cold, and his aura suddenly surged!

Wood generated fire, while fire generated earth. Earth generated metal, and metal generated water, while water generated wood[1].

The Five Elements cycled endlessly.

He directly enveloped the golden light in a field of five-colored radiance.

Boom!

Master Jiekong threw a heavy and forceful punch, and the five-colored radiance shuddered violently.

“Master Jiekong, what are you doing!?” Chen Yang shouted angrily.

Master Jiekong chuckled, “You’ve already gained the Innate Five Elemental Qi Constitution. Leave this immortal fortune to this poor monk!”

With that...

Bang!

He threw another punch!

Using the yang-based power of Buddhist techniques, and unleashing supreme demon-subduing methods, Master Jiekong shattered Chen Yang’s five-colored radiance in an instant.

Many had forgotten that Master Jiekong was actually the first person in Mount Jinting’s Blissful Land to obtain an immortal treasure, the Vermilion Fruit. His magical power was unimaginably vast, as boundless as a sea of clouds. His eyes turned golden as he began chanting Buddhist scriptures.

At once, a grand Sanskrit chant resonated from his mouth, echoing through the heavens and earth. Everyone felt as if a powerful force was tearing at their very souls, and their expressions involuntarily changed.

Ding Rou, being the weakest among them, had already turned pale. Her body swayed unsteadily, nearly collapsing several times.

Ding ding ding...

A crisp bell sounded.

In an instant, a sense of calm washed over everyone’s hearts and minds.

Ding ding ding...

The white-robed woman, with her face veiled, gently rang the ancient bell in her hand. Master Jiekong’s powerful Sanskrit chanting was disrupted, and his aura faltered for a moment!

Taking the chance, the golden light broke free of its restraints and shot off toward the distant horizon.

“Damn this immortal fortune! I’ll slice it in half with one strike!” Xiao Ce shouted loudly.

Unleashing his Swift Saber Art, he attempted to cut the golden light clean through.

“Stop!!” Chen Yang and Master Jiekong roared at the same time.

Their figures turned into gusts of wind, charging directly at Xiao Ce.

Just moments ago, they were fighting each other to the death, yet now, they had joined forces to strike at Xiao Ce. Treasure stirred the hearts of men, and this had always been true throughout history.

Li Yanchu, as always, instinctively kept his distance. Back in the cave dwelling, he had relied on lying in wait to snatch an immortal treasure from both the black-robed elder and a group of young elites.

This time, he was planning to do the exact same thing.

Suddenly... a brilliant flash of golden light illuminated the heavens and earth, and the light was so dazzling that no one could keep their eyes open.

The golden light then vanished in a flash.

In the end, Li Yanchu suddenly realized that a thick fog had risen all around him. The fog appeared gray and murky, and carried an intensely oppressive atmosphere.

"What’s going on?" Li Yanchu was momentarily stunned.

Just a moment ago, he had been standing on a vast plaza, with a towering divine tree, ancient and powerful barriers, and that golden immortal light shining overhead.

How had it all turned into this, enshrouded in dense fog in the blink of an eye? Not only was the divine tree gone, but so were all the others who had been present!

The world around him had fallen into utter silence, so quiet that even a pin drop would echo.

The stark contrast created a heavy pressure in his heart and a deep sense of unease.

Suddenly, from within the thick fog came the sharp, piercing and eerie sound of a baby crying. Li Yanchu’s expression instantly darkened.

1. Wood generates Fire because wood has a warm nature, and fire lies hidden within it, rubbing wood together produces fire, thus Wood gives birth to Fire.

Fire generates Earth because fire is scorching and can burn wood; once wood is burned, it turns to ash, and ash becomes earth, therefore, Fire gives birth to Earth.

Earth generates Metal because metal needs to be concealed within stone, relying on mountains to be nourished and formed; when earth accumulates into mountains, stones are born within, thus Earth gives birth to Metal.

Metal generates Water because the subtle yin energy (metal qi) is gentle and fluid; metal draws forth water, and when metal is smelted and melted, it can become liquid, therefore, Metal gives birth to Water.

Water generates Wood because water nourishes and allows trees to grow, thus Water gives birth to Wood. ☜