Chapter 1963 (Raw 2061): Coiling Dragon Tree
“Xiao Chen, are you confident?” Liu Ruyun asked somewhat worriedly.
Although Liu Yuanzong did not say anything, if Xiao Chen failed and ended up angering a Sovereign Personage, he would not come to a good end.
“Don’t worry. It will be fine.”
Having observed the barrier of this herb garden for a long time, Xiao Chen had managed to verify that this used a certain formation within the Blood-Soaked Dragon Emperor’s memories.
This formation was known as the Essence Sealing Spirit Locking Formation. If this formation were still new and maintained, even a Faux God would not be able to break through it.
However, after so many years, the might of the formation had declined. Now, all it would take to break it was a Soul Tool.
Xiao Chen had a Soul Tool—and not just one. However, he certainly would not take it out before so many people.
Even so, breaking this formation was not difficult for him.
Xiao Chen looked around and asked, “Does anyone here have formation flags? Lend them to me first.”
These words immediately incited a lot of dissatisfaction in the crowd. To think that Xiao Chen did not even have formation flags.
“Damn! I thought you were really a Formation Master. In the end, you don’t even have formation flags.”
“Are you sure you can do it?”
“I can tell with one look that he is just boasting. We should just try one more time; there is no need for him to go to this trouble.”
Liu Yuanzong looked around and asked, “Are there any formation flags? If there are, hand them over to him.”
Formation flags were one of the tools of a Formation Master. Ordinary cultivators would only know some simple formations, which would not need tools.
However, there were many people here, so there would likely be exceptions. After the Sovereign Personage spoke up, Xiao Chen received formation flags of various sizes, about ten of them.
Liu Yuanzong handed the formation flags that he collected to Xiao Chen. Despite the suspicions in his eyes, he did not say anything.
In addition to the dozens of formation flags that Xiao Chen already had, there were barely enough.
Xiao Chen erased the Spiritual Marks in the formation flags and placed his own. After familiarizing himself with them, he took action.
The Essence Sealing Spirit Locking Formation’s primary purpose was not to defend against enemies but to seal in energy and lock in souls.
This formation was laid here to prevent the Spiritual Energy of the herb garden from flowing away. It could help to stabilize the souls of those herbs that gained intelligence.
As long as one understood the mysteries behind the formation, breaking it would not be too difficult.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
As Xiao Chen formed hand seals, the formation flags turned into beams of light shooting into the distant surrounding land.
Xiao Chen’s Spiritual Sense spread out with the formation flags, instantly detecting a huge formation.
Spiritual light flashed, looking boundlessly majestic.
By relying on his knowledge of the formation, Xiao Chen dodged beams of lights and stabbed the formation flags into key nodes.
After he completed everything, some sweat appeared on his forehead. He looked at the herb garden’s barrier and said, “I have control of the formation for now. Everyone only needs to merge their Veritable Essence Energy with the aura of the herb garden, and they can enter directly.”
Liu Yuanzong did not say a word. He stepped forward and placed his hand on the barrier.
Then, he closed his eyes and took in some of the herb garden’s Spiritual Energy from the barrier. He was immediately surprised to find his arm silently going through the barrier.
“It succeeded!” The crowd let out startled cries.
Liu Yuanzong was in no rush to enter. He looked at Xiao Chen and asked, “How do we come out?”
That’s right. The barrier is not broken. At that time, we will have to rely on Xiao Chen when we want to come out.
In the end, a Sovereign Personage’s thoughts are more meticulous and comprehensive.
Xiao Chen replied calmly, “This is an Essence Sealing Spirit Locking Formation. It has no effect on the physical body. After entering, as long as we do not absorb too much of the herb garden’s natural Spiritual Energy, we can directly walk out. Of course, you can ignore my advice and absorb the natural Spiritual Energy of the herb garden, but that would just be seeking trouble. Don’t blame me if you are unable to force the energy out of your body and come back out.”
“I’ll trust you this once.”
Liu Yuanzong did not say anything more than that. He did not worry much about this. Even if he absorbed the herb garden’s Spiritual Energy, he still had some trump cards that could guarantee his exit. However, he was unwilling to use them.
Furthermore, Liu Yuanzong just needed to keep an eye on Xiao Chen to make sure Xiao Chen did not play any tricks.
“Please, go ahead!” Liu Yuanzong smiled playfully, performing an inviting gesture to let Xiao Chen and the others in first.
“There’s no need to worry. Just go in.”
Xiao Chen’s expression did not change at all. After placing his hand on the barrier and absorbing some of the herb garden’s aura through the barrier, he successfully entered.
Upon entering the herb garden, he immediately forced out the herb garden’s aura from his body.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
People entered the herb garden in a steady stream and were stunned at the rich Spiritual Energy in the herb garden, tempted to absorb it.
However, they recalled Xiao Chen’s warning, so they swallowed their saliva and endured the temptation.
“Damn! Even the weeds gained intelligence. They are as good as a Heaven Rank herb.”
“This black soil contains a lot of medicinal scraps. If we dig up some and just casually use it to grow herbs in the future, we can accomplish more with less effort.”
“I wonder if there is any method to force out the Medicinal Energy from the black soil? If we can, we will be unparalleled.”
“What a bunch of useless people. Just casually grab some, and it will be enough. Quickly go to the medicinal spring.”
“Right. Right. Right.”
After entering this herb garden, everyone went giddy with excitement. Some even started digging in the dirt of the herb field, not caring about appearances.
These people hoped that they could discover a complete herb. Even if they could not, just taking the black soil would be a great gain.
However, after someone’s reminder, everyone quickly executed their Movement Techniques and rushed to the medicinal spring in the center of the herb garden.
“Hahahaha!”
Suddenly, someone started laughing loudly. It was the gray-robed old man that opposed Xiao Chen from the start. He was standing before the tree that Xiao Chen was interested in.
When the others saw the tree, they started laughing loudly, as well.
That tree had only the trunk left. It was rotten, with many holes in it. There were no signs of life coming from it.
This was clearly a dead tree of no value.
“Hahaha! Brat, your judgment is really unique!” the gray-clad old man mocked as he looked at Xiao Chen.
“I was wondering what it was. After all that, it turned out to be a rotten tree.”
“That’s not right. We need to be grateful for this tree. If not for it, we would not be able to enter the herb garden,” the gray-clad old man jeered, eliciting laughter.
“What are you all saying? Bunch of bastards. If not for Xiao Chen, none of you would be able to enter this herb garden,” Murong Yan shouted as he pushed away the people around the tree.
Murong Yan’s voice was very loud, suppressing the voices of others immediately. Who knew, with this shout, the towering rotten tree shook and turned into a mountain-like pile of ashes, completely destroyed.
Everyone was stunned for a moment before erupting in louder laughter.
“Hahaha! I can’t take it anymore. My stomach hurts from laughing. Let me rest for a while. What fools, they are really stupid!”
“This is great. Now, they don’t have anything at all.”
Murong Yan’s expression immediately turned extremely unsightly. He felt very embarrassed. He did not expect such a situation to happen. He turned his head back and asked, “Xiao Chen, what kind of judgment is this? What kind of tree did you choose?”
Xiao Chen replied calmly, “I recall that your Red Dragon Palace has this tree as well. However, it is normal that you don’t recognize it. This one is a much higher grade than the one at your Red Dragon Palace.”
“A Coiling Dragon Tree?”
Murong Yan’s expression suddenly changed. As he looked at the pile of ashes, he said in a deep voice, “Red Dragon True Flame!”
“Whoosh!”
Murong Yan sent out a wave of dragon flame. The ashes turned dazzling and glistening when the dragon flame burned it, becoming strands of seven-colored Dragon Qi surrounding the Red Dragon True Flame.
“A seven-color Coiling Dragon Tree!”
“It really is a seven-color Coiling Dragon Tree that can grow seven-color Coiling Dragon Fruits!”
As the ashes burned, a young sapling appeared slowly among them.
“Whoosh!”
Xiao Chen reacted quickly, collecting the sapling into a brocade box to preserve it.
Murong Yan’s eyes nearly popped out. “It really is a seven-color Coiling Dragon Tree. The one at my Red Dragon Palace can produce only red Coiling Dragon Fruit. Xiao Chen, the rewards from the Dragon’s Gate will be truly unimaginable if you turn in this tree.”
Xiao Chen said indifferently, “I have no intention of turning it in.”
“A Coiling Dragon Tree! It actually is a Coiling Dragon Tree!”
The people who mocked Xiao Chen earlier were all stupefied. They never expected this tree to be such a precious sapling!
“Hand over the Coiling Dragon Tree!”
The gray-clad old man’s people immediately could no longer endure. They pounced fiercely, surrounding Xiao Chen’s group.
There were many other cultivators who seemed raring to go. Their eyes flickered with killing Qi.
“I gave you face, but you rejected it!”
Xiao Chen had endured this old man for very long already. Now that this old man stood out like this again, Xiao Chen let out a cold snort and directly took action.
He immediately launched a palm strike, executing Firmament’s Rage. A humongous palm covering the sky with saber-like fingers and flickering electric light ruthlessly pressed down.
“What Martial Technique is this?!”
The gray-clad old man was shocked. Horror flashed in his eyes as he looked at the humongous hand pressing over from the sky. He retreated hastily.
The nearby people moved quickly, trying to get out of the way.
“Pa!”
However, no matter where the gray-clad old man ran, he could not escape the humongous hand closing in on him with every moment.
The palm smashed into the ground. When it disappeared, it left the gray-clad old man’s body riddled with holes, all his saber wounds flickering with electricity.
The old man was half-dead, devoid of all his combat prowess.
One move defeated a Peak Holy Venerate. This thoroughly shocked everyone, freezing them in their tracks.
“A Dragon’s Gate Secret Technique, Firmament’s Rage! I have not seen it for so many years already. Unexpectedly, there is someone within the younger generation who managed to practice it to the second stage. Are you interested in exploring this medicinal spring with me? There might be one of the five elemental energies that you require in there, the Heavenly Spirit Water.” The Sovereign Personage Liu Yuanzong extended an invitation to Xiao Chen, shock flashing in his eyes as he looked at him.
