Chapter 954: Endless Flame (2)

This strange silver-white space was likely still part of the subterranean world beneath the Endless Flame volcano, except the magma had been forcibly expelled by the power of the Sword Immortal, creating a habitable, human-friendly zone.

It was ten thousand meters tall, and its horizontal width followed the original natural span of the mountain’s hollowed-out interior. Just as expected, a man-made cave residence was carved into the rocky mountain wall. It was a familiar layout with three rooms and a hall. There were stone beds, and there were stone chairs in the rooms.

Near the entrance, in the open area, stood a withered ancient tree. Its bark was grayish-white, and its twisted branches bare and lifeless. It seemed completely devoid of vitality, yet, at the crown of the tree, a single half-petrified leaf remained.

The surface of the leaf appeared solid, but a faint verdant hue shimmered within, its veins clearly visible. It possessed a beauty reminiscent of fine art. Beneath the tree stood a stone table.

The table had a teapot and two teacups. Both the teapot and the cups had been carved from stone. Their appearance was simple and rustic, with a soft reddish tone and no decorative patterns.

Given their previous experience, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind, this teapot was certainly a treasure. Li Xiaofei picked up the teapot and opened the lid. A faint, refreshing fragrance drifted out. Li Xiaofei felt his spirit clear and his body lighten with just one breath, as if he were about to ascend into immortality.

A true treasure indeed. He leaned closer for a better look and gave the pot a gentle shake. The sound of water sloshing came from within.

“There’s tea inside,” he said, turning to Zhu Zhixun and the others. “It must have been steeped for decades by now. Anyone want to give it a try?”

“I’ll go first.” Xiong Gang raised his hand immediately.

Li Xiaofei poured out a cup of tea. The tea was amber-colored, crystal-clear, and radiant. Without hesitation, Xiong Gang drank it down in one gulp. Then, with a heavy thud, he collapsed on the spot. His eyes shut tight, and he made no sound.

“What the hell?” Li Xiaofei jumped in alarm.

Is the tea poisoned?

Just then, Liu Shaji walked out from the inner hall. He tsked, “You gave that guy the Enlightenment Tea? Tsk. His cultivation realm isn’t high enough. He’ll probably be unconscious for a while. Once he finishes refining the tea’s effects, he should wake up.”

“Enlightenment Tea?” Li Xiaofei repeated. “Sounds like it has a badass reputation.”

Liu Shaji replied, “It’s a tea favored by the Five Great Immortal Emperors. How could it not be badass? That particular strain was cultivated by Lady Hua Xiangrong herself. It’s even more potent than the Peaches of Immortality. Just one sip is worth a thousand years of cultivation. This stuff’s no joke.”

One sip of tea was said to be equivalent to a thousand years of cultivation,

Li Xiaofei felt a stir in his heart. Without hesitation, he poured himself a cup.

As the amber tea flowed down his throat, a wave of comfort washed over his entire body. The Immortal Force within him began to boil and surge with renewed vigor. Even the Immortal Force crystals within his twelve meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians began to emit a radiant glow, becoming even more translucent and refined.

Though claiming one sip was worth a thousand years might have been an exaggeration, the effects were undeniably extraordinary.

“It really is a treasure,” he said in delight.

When he turned his head, he saw Zhu Zhixun and the others staring at him with eager eyes.

“You all want to try it too? Drink it and you’ll be out cold,” Li Xiaofei warned.

Liu Shaji chimed in, “Let them have some. A chance like this is rare and hard to come by. They’ve earned it.”

Zhu Zhixun licked his lips and said, “That’s right, Senior. We’ve been roasted for so long... we’re a little parched.”

“Exactly, exactly,” added the square-faced one.

All of them stared at him in anticipation.

Li Xiaofei wasn’t the stingy type, so he poured a cup for them all. After drinking, the four immediately collapsed like drunks, motionless on the ground.

“Let them rest for a while,” Liu Shaji said, nodding with satisfaction.

Then, his eyes lit up as he pointed to the ancient tree nearby and said, “This is the real treasure. The Enlightenment Tree. There are barely a few in the entire universe. I never thought I’d see one here. Dig it up and cultivate it carefully. Just give me one branch later, and I’ll be satisfied.”

“Enlightenment Tree?” Li Xiaofei blinked and asked, “So that tea was brewed from one of this tree’s leaves?”

Liu Shaji nodded and replied, “Exactly. Otherwise, how could normal tea last this long without spoiling?”

Li Xiaofei studied the ancient tree closely and said, “But it looks like it’s dying.”

The tree appeared petrified, completely devoid of life.

Liu Shaji replied, “It’s just in hibernation, not dead.”

Li Xiaofei frowned and said, “Trees can hibernate? Don’t lie to me just because I didn’t study much.”

Liu Shaji smirked at him. “If the leaves can help you comprehend the Dao, why can’t the trunk hibernate?”

Damn. That actually makes sense.

And somehow, Li Xiaofei couldn’t refute it.

Li Xiaofei asked, “Then how do I restore its vitality?”

“With love,” Liu Shaji replied.

A black line appeared across Li Xiaofei’s forehead as he nearly lost it. He said, “I’m seriously asking you, damn it.”

“I’m being serious,” Liu Shaji responded with a perfectly straight face. “You have to nourish it with your Immortal Force, talk to it every day, loosen its soil, fertilize it, get rid of bugs... In no time, it’ll come back to life, start growing again, sprouting new branches and leaves.”

Li Xiaofei had no words left.

He circled the Enlightenment Tree a few times, gauging its condition, then decisively pulled out the Blood-Drinking Sword and began digging. He unearthed its entire root system with a series of loud clangs.

Then he carefully transplanted it into the Secret Time Pavilion, placing it within a massive stone altar at the center of the hall.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he almost heard a faint rustling sound. The tree’s branches seemed to sway ever so slightly and the lone petrified leaf gave off a subtle green shimmer.

Back in the Endless Flame space, curiosity got the better of Li Xiaofei. “How do you even know about the Enlightenment Tree? Seen one before?”

While searching the area, Liu Shaji answered, “The Enlightenment Tree was a Dao-proving treasure cultivated by Lady Hua Xiangrong herself. In her previous life, it was quite famous. Everyone in our generation knew about it.”

“A Dao-proving treasure?” Li Xiaofei was a little stunned.

He had witnessed Hua Xiangrong’s strength firsthand. Every movement and gesture radiated invincibility. If she had sought to prove her Dao, it could only have been to attain the position of Immortal Emperor.

If this Enlightenment Tree was her personal Dao-proving creation, how had it ended up here? Liu Shaji let out a long sigh as if sensing Li Xiaofei’s unspoken question.

A look of reverence appeared in Liu Shaji’s eyes as he said, “Back then, Her Grace was just one step away from proving her Dao, it was practically assured. But at that critical moment, the Human Race suffered a massive defeat on the Star Battlefield. Countless powerful cultivators perished, countless planets fell, and human citizens wailed in fire and death. One of the twin Reaper Ancestors, the Ancestor of Strength, invaded with overwhelming force. To save her countless comrades and people, Her Grace divided the Enlightenment Tree into tens of millions of fragments, scattered them across the stars, dispersed her Dao foundation, and shared its fortune with the masses...”

Li Xiaofei was shaken to his core. To be at the verge of ascension, only to disperse one’s very Dao-proving treasure and gift such a heaven-defying opportunity to others was almost unimaginable.

It could be presumed that those who obtained leaves or branches from the Enlightenment Tree must have risen meteorically, becoming powerful martial cultivators who protected their regions and people.

But for Hua Xiangrong, giving up the Enlightenment Tree was equivalent to severing her path to the Dao. She would never again ascend to the highest realm.

What kind of person could make such a sacrifice?

Li Xiaofei asked himself honestly, if it had been him, he knew he couldn’t have done it. In a world of billions, who didn’t yearn to stand at the pinnacle? If given the chance, who would willingly give it up?

Liu Shaji saw the awe written across Li Xiaofei’s face and chuckled. “Kid, the path to becoming an Immortal Emperor is still a long way off for you. Don’t be fooled by how smooth things have gone so far. That’s only because you haven’t truly stepped into the Emperor Realm or fought real monsters. Figures like Hua Xiangrong aren’t the only great ones in our Human Race. The Five Immortal Emperors made sacrifices you couldn’t even begin to imagine. Every cultivator who carried the Fate Qi of humanity fought in the endless darkness of the cosmos and gave up everything. You need to grow up fast and carry your own weight.”

Li Xiaofei nodded solemnly. He asked again, “Since it was scattered across the galaxy, then there should still be other Enlightenment Trees out there, right?”

Liu Shaji replied, “That’s right. There were people who obtained fragments of the Enlightenment Tree and went on to achieve great things. Many human cultivators who rose to prominence thanks to the tree eventually died in battle on the frontline of the Star Battlefield. But their deaths helped protect the people, safeguarded the galactic front lines, and bought precious time for the human race to develop.”

“Then why did this particular Enlightenment Tree end up here?” Li Xiaofei pressed.

Logically, with Lin Beichen’s cultivation realm as a Sword Immortal, he shouldn’t have needed the Enlightenment Tree to assist his progress.

“It’s said that the Five Immortal Emperors once tried to recreate a complete Enlightenment Tree to give Hua Xiangrong another chance to ascend. Maybe Lin Beichen was trying the same thing. As for why he left it here in the end, I’ve got no idea,” Liu Shaji answered.

As the two conversed, they continued searching the stone cave inside and out. Eventually, Liu Shaji entered the central hall of the cave residence. He stood there in silence, his eyes fixed on an unmarked stone pillar standing at the center of the room. Then, suddenly, he froze, as if sensing something.

“What is it?” Li Xiaofei asked in confusion.

Liu Shaji replied, “It’s strange. Every time I look at this stone pillar, I feel an odd sense of familiarity. But no matter how closely I inspect it, I can’t find anything unusual. It’s just a column carved from volcanic rock, nothing more. Why do you think that is?”

Li Xiaofei studied the pillar carefully. It was exactly as Liu Shaji had said; it was very ordinary. There were no inscriptions, no engravings. The material was clearly volcanic stone. There wasn’t anything special about it.

“Why would Senior Lin Beichen place something like this right in the center of the hall? It doesn’t seem to serve any real purpose, yet it’s positioned so conspicuously,” Li Xiaofei said. “Feels like it’s trying to hint at something.”

Liu Shaji scratched his head, visibly frustrated. That sense of familiarity the pillar evoked in him was strong. But he just couldn’t figure out why.

Li Xiaofei reached out and touched the pillar. It felt warm, just like the skin of a lover beneath his palm. After a moment’s thought, he summoned the Blood-Drinking Sword. Without hesitation, he slashed down with it.

“Hey—what are you doing? Wait—what the hell—” Liu Shaji tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The stone pillar split cleanly in two. It was hollow. A burst of silver-white light spilled out instantly.