Chapter 305 : An Ancient Pact
Chapter 305: An Ancient Pact
It was impossible to describe how massive the tree was, because Chen Ming couldn’t see its full form. He could only see a section of its incomparably huge trunk; beyond that, it was already shrouded in clouds and mist.
A single leaf was as large as half a basketball court.
One branch extended to an unknown distance away.
Even the folds in the bark were large enough to accommodate a person.
“Could this be the legendary World Tree?”
This thought flashed through Chen Ming’s mind. The vine pulling him continued upward. In the blink of an eye, he had already entered the clouds. Everything before him turned into a field of white; nothing could be seen.
He didn’t dare use the Yin Spirit’s perspective to view it, yet he could still sense the towering vitality of the tree. It seemed as though it had fused with the world itself.
Whoosh!
At last, he broke through the clouds. His view suddenly opened up, revealing an enormous canopy before his eyes.
He was pulled onto one of the leaves, where the incredibly tough vine wrapped around him tightly, rendering him completely immobile.
He tried circulating his Gang Origin to break free from the vine, but the moment he activated it, it vanished without a trace. He couldn’t shake the vine even slightly.
“Boy, stop struggling. It’s useless.”
Suddenly, an aged voice entered his ears.
Chen Ming tried to turn his head, but realized he couldn’t move at all. “Who’s there?”
“That voice said, “Someone just like you—trapped here.”
“Senior, what is this place? And what is this tree?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions.”
“Apologies, I was rude.”
That old voice muttered to itself, “Strange. You’re only at First Grade cultivation, yet you were sent here? Could it be that mixed-blood pheasant is finally unable to suppress its conflicting bloodlines and is about to die?”
“Hey, boy, I’m asking you something.”
Chen Ming replied, “Yes… and no.”
“What do you mean? Don’t play riddles.”
“There’s been some disturbance outside.”
Chen Ming roughly explained the situation outside, only omitting a few key points.
The old voice broke into laughter. “Hahaha, that pheasant is finally getting what it deserves. Suffering such a heavy blow, its bloodline will soon destabilize. Death isn’t far off now! Hahaha…”
Once the laughter subsided, Chen Ming asked, “May I know senior’s name?”
“The old man’s surname is Wang. As for my name, I’ve long forgotten it.”
“Then may I ask where this is?”
“You brought good news, so the old man is in a good mood. I’ll tell you. This place is a secret realm within Elysium Island. As for this tree… you can consider it the embodiment of the Dao within this secret realm.”
“So it really is the World Tree…”
“World Tree? That name is rather fitting.”
Chen Ming asked, “Does senior have any method to break free and leave this place?”
Old Wang snorted, “If I had a way, I’d have left long ago. Why would I still be stuck here after over a hundred years?”
“What I meant was… with senior’s insight, is there any possible way out?”
“Hahaha, you’ve got quite the nerve. Even I couldn’t find a way, and you think a mere First Grade like you can?”
“That’s not what I meant. One mind may be limited—perhaps this junior might offer a foolish idea or two.”
“You really are an unusual one—speaking humbly, yet full of confidence. The old man’s curious now… where does your confidence come from? Oh well—”
Old Wang continued, “This giant tree has already fused with the core of this secret realm. It has become an embodiment of the laws. Unless someone in the Fate Palace Realm takes action, anyone below the Divine Repository Realm will have their power continuously drained once trapped, becoming nourishment for the tree.
“The more you struggle, the faster your power is siphoned. With your strength, thinking of forcibly breaking the vine is pure fantasy.
“There is only one way to escape—to awaken the tree’s consciousness and have it release us willingly.”
Chen Ming was intrigued. “This tree already has a consciousness?”
“It was a tree demon from the beginning—a creature of the demon race. Otherwise, how could it have devoured an entire secret realm and turned it into its nourishment? It obeys that mixed-blood pheasant because they both belong to the demon race, and thus it traps all beings who enter this secret realm.”
“A demon…”
Chen Ming’s heart stirred.
Old Wang continued, “This tree demon normally slumbers and rarely awakens. In over a hundred years, I’ve only seen it awaken once.”
Chen Ming cautiously asked, “May I ask why senior was imprisoned here?”
Perhaps it had been too long since Old Wang had spoken to anyone—once he began, he couldn’t stop. “No harm in telling you. I hail from the First City Under Heaven. I came here after learning that Elysium Island held an unclaimed Immortal Estate. I came to explore, but was ambushed and trapped here.”
First City Under Heaven?
Chen Ming was surprised. If he remembered correctly, the founder of the First City Under Heaven did have some connection to Elysium Island.
A city capable of withstanding two nations by itself, remaining independent, was a name renowned throughout the world.
“Senior hails from the First City Under Heaven? This junior has long admired it.”
“It’s been over a hundred years… how is the city now?”
“Though I’ve never visited it personally, its reputation remains strong.”
“That’s good… Alright, boy, have you thought up any of your ‘foolish ideas’?” Old Wang’s tone suddenly turned mocking.
Chen Ming replied, “Perhaps this junior can give it a try.”
He then closed his eyes and began to circulate the 《Beast Taming Art》, attempting to communicate with this “World Tree.”
The 《Beast Taming Art》 was derived from the 《Demonic Transformation Grand Art》. In theory, it could command all demons—and a tree demon should be no exception, right?
“Hello… hello… hello…”
He vaguely touched a vast and mighty consciousness. Compared to it, he was like an insignificant insect.
He called out again and again.
Suddenly, that vast consciousness stirred—“Hm?”
Just that one response nearly obliterated his consciousness.
…
Boom!
The incomparably massive tree suddenly trembled.
“What’s going on?”
Old Wang sounded somewhat startled. The tree had actually moved—was it a coincidence, or—
Whoosh!
Just as Chen Ming felt his consciousness about to extinguish like a candle in the wind, a gentle power surged through him, stabilizing his divine sense.
“You——fi——nal——ly——ar——rived——”
A vast will echoed in his divine sense. Before his eyes, an impossibly large, wrinkled, and strange face appeared.
That face was so enormous that just one of its eyes was larger than his entire body.
Finally arrived?
What did that mean?
Chen Ming was confused. “What does senior mean? Could it be… you knew I would come?”
“Ac——cord——ing——to——the——an——cient——pact——” the tree’s face spoke word by word, “I——will——give——you——that——thing——”
Then, from above, a massive round object fell, seemingly brimming with powerful vitality.
Chen Ming stared at the thing, which looked like a fruit, and swallowed nervously. “May I ask what pact this is, senior?”
“The——an——cient——pact——from——eight——thou——sand——years——ago——”
Eight thousand years ago?
Chen Ming’s heart jolted. He couldn’t help but think of one person—the Eternal Life Emperor!
Could it be the 《Five Elements True Art》?
His only connection to the Eternal Life Emperor was this divine art.
“The——pact——is——ful——filled——you——may——leave——now——”
…
Chen Ming’s consciousness returned to his body. To his delight, the vine binding him had vanished, and that massive “fruit” was also gone.
Where did it go?
As he stood there puzzled, a surprised voice rang out, “Boy, how did you do it?”
In a blur, a gaunt old man appeared before him. His clothes were tattered, his body thin like a mummy.
Seeing his pitiful state, Chen Ming quickly said, “Senior Wang, let’s leave this place first.”
“Yes, let’s get out of this damned place.”
Then the two of them stared at each other.
Old Wang urged, “Go on then.”
Chen Ming gave a wry smile. “I don’t know how to leave either. Never mind, I’ll ask.”
He once again attempted to communicate with the World Tree’s consciousness. “Senior, how do we leave this secret realm?”
A breeze swept past, and whispers reached his ears.
Chen Ming came to a sudden realization. “Senior Wang, let’s go.”
Old Wang was still wondering who he was talking to. Seeing Chen Ming close his eyes and then, after a few moments, act as if he knew the way out, his confusion only deepened.
“Boy, you really can communicate with the tree’s consciousness? And it just let you go that easily?”
“Yes.”
Chen Ming led the extremely frail old man toward the center of the canopy.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, he noticed a sword stabbed into one of the branches. The blade shimmered with a cold gleam. His heart stirred, and he walked over to pull it out.
It turned out to be a Peerless Divine Weapon!
Chen Ming was pleasantly surprised—he had actually picked up a divine weapon. Carved into the sword’s hilt were two characters: Emperor Moon.
Old Wang glanced at it and exclaimed, “The Emperor Moon Sword? I can’t believe such a divine weapon ended up here.”
Chen Ming humbly asked, “Is this sword famous?”
“The royal family of the Previous Dynasty had three great divine weapons—Emperor Sun Saber, Emperor Moon Sword, and Emperor Star Spear. It’s said they were forged by the Founding Ancestor himself and enshrined in the Ancestral Temple after he unified the realm. After the dynasty fell, the whereabouts of the three weapons became unknown.”
So it was one of those three imperial weapons!
Chen Ming realized—he had heard of the three divine weapons, but hadn’t known their names. It was said they held the dynasty’s fate, and were destroyed with its fall.
Clearly, that was just later generations making wild guesses.
Old Wang sized him up and said, “You really do have unusual fortune.”
“Let’s go.”
Chen Ming said no more and continued onward. He happened to need a new weapon—his previous one had been lost long ago.
With this divine sword, his strength would increase by another twenty percent. If he ran into a Divine Repository Realm opponent, he’d stand a much better chance.
Old Wang seemed disinterested in the sword, tacitly agreeing to let Chen Ming keep it.
…
Before long, they reached the very center of the canopy. There, they saw a bottomless pit.
The World Tree… was actually hollow?
“If we jump down, we can leave this place.”
Chen Ming spoke calmly, then jumped in without hesitation.
Old Wang followed after.
The wind howled louder and louder in their ears.
As the speed reached a certain threshold, Chen Ming’s body seemed to pass through a membrane. His vision brightened.
Opening his eyes, he found himself in a cave.
In the next instant, Old Wang appeared beside him.
“We finally escaped that cursed place!” Old Wang laughed and sobbed at the same time, voice choking with emotion.
Chen Ming could understand his feelings. After being trapped for over a hundred years, finally escaping alive—who wouldn’t be moved?
He asked, “What will senior do next?”
Old Wang quickly calmed down and suddenly said, “You don’t seem like someone from Elysium Island.”
“Senior sees clearly. This junior is from Great Jin. I came to Elysium Island this time to rescue someone.”
“Hmm. I’m going to settle the score with that pheasant. You go rescue your person while it’s distracted.” Old Wang clearly bore deep hatred for the island’s guardian beast. Just after escaping, he already wanted revenge.
Chen Ming advised, “Senior, you’ve been trapped for over a century. Perhaps it’s better to find a place to recover first. Once your strength returns, you can settle the score then.”
“Now is when it’s weakest—this opportunity won’t come again. Boy, take this. If you run into trouble in the future, come find me at Azure Dragon Gate in the First City Under Heaven.”
Chen Ming caught the item Old Wang tossed him. Looking down, he saw a token—with Azure engraved on one side and Dragon on the other.
When he looked back up, Old Wang was already gone.
What a fiery temper.
He shook his head and left the cave.
…
In an uninhabited cave.
Chen Ming sat cross-legged with the Emperor Moon Sword across his knees. He began circulating the 《Controlling Artifact Art》, attempting to communicate with the sword spirit.
After a long while—
He opened his eyes, somewhat disappointed.
It seemed the sword spirit had already dissipated. Perhaps it was due to overuse by its previous owner, or perhaps because the Previous Dynasty had fallen and its fate had dispersed.
Still, the sword’s foundation remained. It harbored immense power.
Its might surpassed the Mingfeng Sword, the Taiyue Sword, and the Frost Chi Sword. As expected of one of the Previous Dynasty’s most famed divine weapons.
If used properly, the power within could slay even a Divine Repository Realm expert.
Chen Ming began nurturing the sword. Afterward, he resumed searching for the massive fruit.
Could it be—
He sank his consciousness inward. As expected, within his Yin Spirit, a new presence had appeared—it was that massive fruit.
The fruit seemed just like the Purple Mansion Secret Volume—existing somewhere between reality and illusion, and capable of hiding within his Yin Spirit.
Even more mysterious—it was undetectable through normal means. If he hadn’t checked internally, he wouldn’t have even known it was there.
“What exactly is this fruit? And what was that so-called ancient pact?”
Thinking this, Chen Ming let out a sigh.
It seemed he had inevitably been drawn into this vast web of cause and effect.