Chapter 81: Gracious Acceptance

Luo Tian gently lifted the lid of the jade box. A sea of verdant light, bright as lush emeralds and rippling like jade-green waves, instantly swept through his mind, leaving it incomparably clear. Inside the box lay the Wood Element True Spirit, the Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood. Having lost all its power, it was now but a bead the size of a fingertip. Yet its surface was so smooth, its entire form emitted a most pleasing green sheen, as if it held within a pool of crystal-clear spring water.

At that moment, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to stir around him.

Was it about to reclaim its energy?

Luo Tian raised an eyebrow, his divine eyes taking in every detail. He saw wisps of green energy in the ambient spiritual air being continuously drawn into the Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood—not only from around his own body, but even from the very sky above, where gentle emerald hues converged en masse upon the bead, as rivers flow to the sea. The scene was as magnificent as it was awe-inspiring.

The Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood would first absorb the unrefined Lifeforce, then that of the spirit beasts, and only lastly would it forcibly strip such power from the bodies of cultivators. With Qin Tianyu’s memories now his own, Luo Tian felt as though he had become a walking compendium of cultivation knowledge.

Gazing at the ripples forming within the Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood, Luo Tian made his calculations. The wood element was relatively gentle and harmonized well with other elements, which explained why, upon entering this secret realm, he had sensed his power stirring restlessly.

He planned to find a secluded spot as soon as the Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood had restored its energy, and use the opportunity to raise his cultivation of vital energy. With such force at hand to stimulate him, his progress in cultivating Fire Vital Energy would surely accelerate.

The power of the Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood could be understood as the strength of True Intent, not merely pure Wood Vital Energy. This energy was an intrinsic property hidden within the element itself, and could be wielded even without wood energy in one’s body. However, without the support and fusion of wood energy, this True Intent would eventually dissipate.

Wait—what about Qin Tianyu’s physical body?

Fixing his gaze on the shriveled corpse, Luo Tian felt no aversion. Though Qin Tianyu was dead and his core had long since scattered, the body still held value. Stowing it away might prove useful in the future.

And then there were the others.

Luo Tian looked at Liu Longfei and the three other elite disciples of the Grand Origin Sect, a glint in his eye.

This secret realm, though full of opportunities, was by no means a benevolent place. Of the seventy disciples present, quite a few had likely already perished to spirit beasts, and disciples of the Divine Sun Sect and the Grand Origin Sect would inevitably turn on each other.

Undoubtedly, these four possessed the greatest share of Lifeforce, so their storage pouches must contain impressive resources as well. If they’d accumulated so much Lifeforce, it stood to reason their treasures would be correspondingly abundant.

“Junior Brother Liu, you said you’d look after me. Though fate did not bind us in the end, I shall gladly accept these treasures you so painstakingly acquired—consider it the fulfillment of your wish,” Luo Tian murmured softly, his tone utterly free of guilt or unease. He deftly removed Liu Longfei’s two storage pouches.

Since Qin Tianyu had absolute confidence in his own “Venomous True Intent,” Luo Tian had no reason to doubt it. In Qin Tianyu’s mind, these four would remain deeply unconscious, with no chance of waking prematurely.

With the storage pouches in hand, Luo Tian wasted no time. He opened them and carefully examined their contents.

“Centennial Silver Thread Grass, Centennial Black-Marked Seven-Petal Lotus…”

“Centennial Three-Colored Golden Branch Flower…”

“Centennial Dragon Tongue Herb… Well, Junior Brother Liu, you were quite capable, to have gathered such an array of valuable treasures!”

He cast a look of approval at the still-unconscious Liu Longfei, giving him a quiet word of praise. Having a team at his side made both hunting spirit beasts and foraging for herbs far more efficient than solitary wandering.

Selecting the finest and most precious among the herbs, Luo Tian unceremoniously transferred them to his own storage pouch, leaving the inferior ones for Liu Longfei and fixing the pouches back as they were.

“And now for the Grand Origin Sect’s disciples,” Luo Tian thought, his anticipation higher than with Liu Longfei—after all, these were three individuals, and the strength of their sect’s disciples even surpassed that of Divine Sun Sect, a point beyond dispute.

Even if these poor fellows had been less diligent, they surely would have reaped more than Liu Longfei.

Yet the most regrettable truth was that, of the seventy disciples, few would leave here alive. With spirit beasts and humans alike killing at will, there was little to be done.

He shook his head slightly, dispelling such useless thoughts, and turned his attention to the three newly acquired storage pouches, methodically searching and appraising their contents.

He would take only the best of the best.

As expected, this time’s bounty brought Luo Tian even greater delight. The Grand Origin Sect disciples were not only more powerful, but also more industrious in their treasure-seeking. Some of these items were clearly originally discovered by Divine Sun Sect disciples and had been appropriated after their deaths—a natural outcome in such a realm.

Meanwhile, the Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood in the jade box continued absorbing Lifeforce from its surroundings. Luo Tian sat calmly upon the ground, comparing and evaluating the gains from his search.

He knew that, once outside, ninety percent of these treasures would have to be surrendered to the sect. Even the remaining ten percent would likely be exchanged for contributions at the sect’s behest. Having worked so hard to gather these treasures, Luo Tian was loath to see the majority handed over for nothing.

Thus, storing the finest items in his own storage bracelet was the most sensible choice.

Of course, Luo Tian, aiming to claim first place at the Ziyang Mountain Tournament, would not hide everything away. After twenty days, failing to produce some worthy spoils would invite suspicion.

With everything sorted, Luo Tian left the area in high spirits, wondering if the four would go mad upon discovering the changes to their pouches when they awoke.

The remaining time was spent in seclusion, cultivating his vital energy with full commitment. The secret art of forging his body could wait; for now, his priority was to use the seclusion of this realm to advance his cultivation as much as possible. Once outside, even the core nodes of the Convergence Array would not compare to this place.

After more than ten days, the Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood had nearly recovered all the Lifeforce. In Luo Tian’s hands, it obediently provided energy; though the original Lifeforce was gone, with the Immeasurable Lifegiving Wood, Luo Tian could extract its power limitlessly.

The other disciples, meanwhile, suffered a loss. With the spirit beasts deprived of their formidable regenerative abilities, they found their own newfound powers had vanished as well, leaving them thoroughly disappointed.

With two elite disciples from the top sects supplying him with a wealth of resources, Luo Tian cultivated diligently and with focus. His efforts were not in vain. On the eve of leaving the secret realm, he succeeded in advancing his cultivation to the ninth cycle of the Qi Condensation Realm—the Realm of White Qi.

He was but a step away from reaching the Flowing Vein stage!

Luo Tian made his way leisurely toward the entrance of the secret realm. After this Ziyang Mountain Tournament, his strength and progress would be more than sufficient to attract countless disciples seeking his guidance. The thought of his Divine Eye’s experience points rising in a torrent brought him genuine satisfaction.

What new powers would manifest when the Divine Eye broke through once more?