Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Ding-dong, ding-dong-dong…”
Jiang Yi continued to try all sorts of tunes. No matter what tune he played—as long as it contained the heavenly spring rhythmic movement, the tree leaves and branches above would start to sway rhythmically. If he just used his Divine Sound Heaven Skill to play or casually string a few notes on the guqin, the leaves and branches would not move at all.
“This Divine Tree is swaying because of the heavenly spring rhythmic movement!”
Jiang Yi concluded that the Divine Tree was probably activated by quintessence and had swayed after being triggered by the heavenly spring rhythmic movement. As to whether this Divine Tree was sentient or why it moved along with the heavenly spring rhythmic movement, Jiang Yi did not know.
He continued to play, trying to find a sliver of a chance from the movements made by the Divine Tree; a sliver of a chance for him to realize quintessence, something that would allow him to survive this. Jiang Yi entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man as he continued to play with both hands while his heart and mind were fully fixed on the tree branches and tree leaves. He tried his best to realize something to clutch on this life-saving straw.
Two hours, six hours… twelve hours!
Jiang Yi used countless tunes and all methods of playing; he kept his focus on the tree leaves and branches above, trying to find a sliver of a chance. Alas, he failed.
This straw to clutch on seemed to only be hope and desire in his mind; it was but an illusion. Besides swaying consistently after being triggered by the heavenly spring rhythmic movement, there wasn’t anything special about the tree branches and tree leaves. Jiang Yi felt as if he had just escaped from a tiger’s mouth and climbed up a huge tree, only to find that a huge python was residing in it; he was still going to die anyway.
“I’m not going to play anymore!”
Jiang Yi pushed the guqin away as he opened his eyes. He then raised his head and fell on his back. He stared at the tree branches that were reflecting light as well as the few tree leaves that were glowing with light; Jiang Yi suddenly felt very vexed. It seemed as if the tree branches and leaves were forming a human face; this face was full of mockery and sarcasm.
Swish!
A weapon appeared in Jiang Yi’s hand as he used his heavenly powers and attacked one of the leaves on the Divine Tree. He wanted to hack a leaf down and examine it closely. However, despite using all his energy, when that weapon struck one tree leaf; a ‘clang-clang’ sound actually reverberated. The tree leaf did not even move the slightest, and his weapon came shooting back at him instead. It pierced into the ground near him and flickered vigorously.
“Strange.”
Jiang Yi took out the Fire Dragon Sword as he ferociously sliced the air above him as a red light flashed. However, the effect was the same. The leaves and branches did not shake the slightest.
“Sword Emanations King, go and hack a tree branch down for me!”
Jiang Yi originally didn’t dare to act recklessly against this tree, fearing that something bad might happen. However, he was now pissed off. Since he didn’t have long to live anyway—even if he attacked this Divine Tree and something bad happened, that didn’t mean much to him anymore.
The Sword Emanations King was completely obedient to Jiang Yi’s commands. Its legs sprung as it charged upwards furiously. Although the powerful gravity here slowed it down a lot, it wasn’t an issue for him to jump around fifteen thousand feet. After it got close to one of the tree branches, it waved its sword-like arm as it hacked furiously at one of the tree branches.
Clang-clang!
Once again, a sound of metal striking metal rang out. Not only did the tree branch remain intact and didn’t move an inch, but the Sword Emanations King had also been sent flying by the rebound effect as it crashed heavily downwards, half its body buried into the ground.
“This is indeed a Divine Tree.”
Jiang Yi utterly gave up. He did not know what to do anymore and could only stare blankly and do nothing. His gaze continued to linger on the tree branches and leaves as he laid there quietly. He continued lying there for a few hours. Although the Demonic Repellent was not very strong here, Jiang Yi instinctively also grew more pensive and gloomy; he wasn’t a saint, and he had feelings as well.
The red light flashed in the sky as from afar, the Lunar Beasts started to gather again. Jiang Yi could only crawl to a sitting position again and continue fighting using the Sword Emanations Race beings!
As his guqin rang, the tree branches and leaves overhead started to sway again; it was just like a young lady dancing and singing. Jiang Yi glanced a few times and gritted his teeth; it seemed as if this Divine Tree was laughing at his misfortune and making fun of him.
Jiang Yi grew angry as his playing became more rushed and urgent; his rhythm also became quicker. Since the Divine Tree loved to shake so much, Jiang Yi was going to make it shake as much as he could. His hands played as if crazy, and his fingers were moving so fast they were almost hard to make out. As his playing grew more and more crazed and rushed, the low-grade Lunar Beasts in the distance were so heavily suppressed that they almost couldn’t even move. However, the tree branches and leaves overhead were now shaking violently!
Five minutes passed by very quickly as the red light disappeared and the Lunar Beasts retreated. However, Jiang Yi still had not stopped playing. He was just like a child having a tantrum and was stubbornly going head-on with the Divine Tree. This Divine Tree had given him hope and yet made him feel hopeless after that. Jiang Yi bore a grudge against the Divine Tree and wanted to vent at this moment.
Clang! Clang!
As Jiang Yi was venting his anger, streak after streak of killing aura emanated from the guqin as it swept furiously in all directions. However, as there wasn’t a single Lunar Beast around, Jiang Yi’s playing had been wasted. However, the tree branches and tree leaves overhead seemed to be shaking ever more violently. It was just like a small tree being shaken violently by someone; even the tree trunk of this Divine Tree was starting to shake as well.
Boom!
A low explosive noise rang out as Jiang Yi spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and the guqin exploded into a fine powder. Just like that time in the battle arena at the foot of the Saint Spirit Mountain, Jiang Yi’s maddened playing was too much for this guqin, and it had exploded.
This time as well, Jiang Yi had gone overboard; he fainted just like the last time. At this moment, however, something strange happened.
The Divine Tree had stopped shaking, and the tree branches stopped moving. However, perhaps it was because the shaking had been too violent or because of fate, one of the tree leaves actually broke off from a tree branch and fell down. It floated in the air just like a feather and finally landed on Jiang Yi’s face.
As Jiang Yi had fainted, he naturally didn’t know that the tree leaf had fallen. The divine light on that tree leaf also disappeared as it became just like an ordinary leaf as it gently laid on Jiang Yi’s face.
A few hours later, Jiang Yi woke up groggily. He had been startled awake by the low, deep sound traveling underground. Jiang Yi’s entire body was aching as his face twisted with pain. Jiang Yi soon found out something strange as he felt that tree leaf on his face.
“Uh…”
He opened his eyes confusingly; he actually forgot the waves of pain transmitting from his soul spirit as he scratched his face with difficulty and managed to grab onto that leaf. He then brought it in front of his eyes as he looked at it.
“This!”
His eyes narrowed as his face was full of disbelief as he immediately looked towards the Divine Tree overhead. Jiang Yi found that the Divine Tree was actually missing one leaf!
“How is this possible?”
Although Jiang Yi’s entire body was extremely weak while his soul spirit was still emitting waves of pain, Jiang Yi immediately struggled and brought himself into a sitting position as he examined the leaf intently.
Jiang Yi had not been able to shake this leaf the slightest bit even when he attacked with all his might. Even when the Sword Emanations King had hacked at a tree branch, it had no effect whatsoever. Now, this leaf had actually fallen down? This was a Divine Tree’s leaf!
Buzz!
Jiang Yi examined it a few times as his heavenly powers circulated in his hand. He was prepared to refine this tree leaf. At the moment he injected heavenly powers into this leaf, it actually lit up with a piercing light; he couldn’t even open his eyes.
