Chapter 6396 Continuing Onwards
After finally overcoming this crisis, Long Chen thought of Zhi Zhi, and his heart clenched in horror. He could no longer sense its spiritual fluctuations.
He immediately checked the primal chaos space. Beneath the Heavenly Dao Tree, Zhi Zhi’s vine lay completely withered, lifeless.
“Zhi Zhi!”
Long Chen shouted as he rushed over, only to see the vine crumble to dust before he even reached it.
“Zhi Zhi...” Long Chen’s chest tightened with grief. Had Zhi Zhi truly died just like that?
“Wait... there’s an aura here...”
Crouching down, Long Chen felt the faintest ripple. A familiar fluctuation pulsed through the earth, growing clearer the deeper he reached for it. It was Zhi Zhi’s spiritual signature—weak and fading, but still there.
Zhi Zhi seemed to be trying to respond to Long Chen, but their connection kept shattering.
“Zhi Zhi should have definitely died. It was the Heavenly Dao Tree that saved it,” said the Earth Cauldron.
Looking closer, Long Chen saw the Heavenly Dao Tree’s roots wrapped around a vine, sealing it in endless layers of runes.
“Zhi...”
A single sound reached Long Chen’s mind. Though faint, Zhi Zhi’s voice carried a trace of pride—one that left Long Chen torn between anger, relief, and sorrow.
Had it not been for the Heavenly Dao Tree, Zhi Zhi would already be gone. And yet, it seemed almost proud of its survival. Long Chen knew why. Zhi Zhi had risked everything to copy the runes of the giant formation—all so it could be of greater help to him in the future.
“Zhi Zhi’s real body was hidden in the primal chaos space, but the Grand Dao energy still almost killed it. Why was it so terrifying?” asked Long Chen.
The Earth Cauldron sighed. “You also heard how that devil called Zhi Zhi—the World Destroying Ghost Vine. Zhi Zhi does not belong here. It was brought to the nine heavens as a weapon of destruction. In the primal chaos era, Zhi Zhi’s kind wrought devastation upon the nine heavens and ten lands, to the point that the Grand Dao itself rejected them. In theory, copying runes should not have drawn this backlash, but the Grand Dao somehow remembered them and rejected Zhi Zhi. This karma was planted long ago.”
Long Chen nodded. Zhi Zhi had always been an anomaly. He had picked it up by chance, back when Zhi Zhi was nothing more than a binding vine. If Zhi Zhi were truly all-powerful, it never would have been used like that.
In any case, Zhi Zhi’s survival was a blessing. Furthermore, it had copied the whole grand formation.
It was a spirit-gathering formation, but it could merge both offense and defense to prevent others from breaking it. Once Zhi Zhi recovered, her power would soar—very possibly beyond even Huo Linger and Lei Linger’s current level.
Seeing that Zhi Zhi was fine, Long Chen finally relaxed. He stood still, gazing at the primal chaos space.
The world had utterly transformed. It no longer felt like a formless inner realm. The Fusang Trees and Moon Trees had spread apart, forming two poles that resonated across the realm.
Above the Moon Trees, a crescent moon hung in the sky, its soft glow bathing the forest in a mysterious light. Jade Rabbits hopped joyfully through the moonlit woods.
On the other side, a blazing sun rose above the Fusang Trees. Its raging heat soaked the Fusang Trees, igniting the Golden Crows in golden brilliance as their flames spiraled upward.
A sun and a moon—each seemed blessed with its own soul. As they absorbed one another’s energy, a new force was born between them, strengthening both in an endless cycle.
It was as if the mysterious workings of the cosmos were manifesting within the primal chaos space, revealing profundities beyond words.
Long Chen remained there for a long time, watching as this world continued to transform. Both the Heavenly Dao Tree and the Seven Treasure Colored Glass Tree appeared to be undergoing a metamorphosis.
But then he noticed something strange. The pile of Heavenly Dao Fruits beneath the Heavenly Dao Tree had vanished.
Previously, he had left them there for later use, yet now not a single one remained. This likely happened after the Grand Dao Flower had merged into the primal chaos space. The Heavenly Dao Fruits had been absorbed by something.
It was like fruit left to rot after falling from a branch: if not picked, it would return to the earth.
“What a painful loss!” Long Chen groaned.
In the last few battles, he had gathered a bunch of high-quality Heavenly Dao Fruits. He had planned to bring them back for his parents to distribute to promising experts.
Fortunately, the fruit on top of the Heavenly Dao Tree was still present. Long Chen hastily plucked them and put them away safely.
To his surprise, he found that the Heavenly Dao Tree itself had changed. Its laws were no longer the same. There were now more slots for high-level Heavenly Dao Fruits, and whenever a new fruit formed, lower-level fruit would be absorbed.
At this point, every fruit on the tree contained at least 900 Sovereign flames. Dozens had already reached 999.
This discovery astonished him. It proved that the Heavenly Dao Tree had even absorbed the power of the experts slain by the Grand Dao Flower.
The Heavenly Dao Tree was truly amazing, and it had even protected Zhi Zhi. Long Chen’s understanding of it deepened, though the Heavenly Dao Tree remained a mystery. Beyond producing these miraculous fruits, he could not yet fathom its other abilities.
“Senior, let’s go into seclusion. I want to digest this Grand Dao qi, and I have to recuperate from my wounds,” said Long Chen.
The Earth Cauldron replied, “I think you won’t get that chance. You have to quickly reach the final step of the Human Emperor realm. You saw it yourself—so many experts at that level appeared in what was just a random corner of the battlefield. The heaven region’s battlefield is vast, and geniuses like them are everywhere. Your current pace is still too slow. Although none of them could threaten you, you know they were not the strongest experts in this world. The likes of Long Biluo and Long Wu have probably reached the peak of the final step long ago. This world is filled with opportunities, and many are more fortunate than you. Try to keep going. I know you’re exhausted, but you must push on.”
Long Chen nodded grimly. His body was weak, and the branding of the Starry Sky Battle Robe left him in such agony that he could barely stand. Yet, the Earth Cauldron was right—there was no time to rest.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Sovereign Dragon Divine Nest. It lifted him into the air and carried him onward.
The slaughter had to continue.