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After Song Chengbo left, Ning Cheng turned even more vigilant and tread carefully to avoid the statues seemingly strewn haphazardly over the gravel-filled ground. Although Song Chengbo said that one could use these statues to perceive spirit techniques, Ning Cheng did not think much about it. He believed that Song Chengbo had not have deceived him. Maybe one could really use these statues to try to sense spirit techniques.
But Ning Cheng felt that it was entirely unnecessary for him. Moreover, his current cultivation was not enough to use these statues to understand spirit techniques. Even his own spirit technique, Sunset’s Twilight, he still hadn’t fully realised it. He only had some surface understandings about the Laws of Time, and in truth, it couldn’t even be considered as something derived from the Laws of Time. At best, it was akin to compressing ‘time’ infinitely close to an instant, not exactly turning it ‘static’.
Instead of searching for a statue to help him understand spirit techniques, it would be much better for him to find a place to sit down and try understanding something from the Time Stones.
This gravel desert was not vast, but because Ning Cheng had deliberately slowed down his pace, it took a long time to cross it. Along the way, he still took the time to observe some statues and found that only a few of them seemed to give out some strange fluctuations. However, most of them were like lifeless clay sculptures, without the slightest movement. As for any rings on the fingers of the statues or any weapons, Ning Cheng simply could not find any.
Despite slowing down his pace, Ning Cheng at least gained something. At the very least, his Spiritual Consciousness could now stretch out to nearly 30 feet.
On the fifth day, Ning Cheng finally saw a few green patches on the ground, from which he estimated that he had reached somewhere near the periphery of the Wood Transformation Forest.
Walking a few tens of meters forward, Ning Cheng stood outside of what looked like a vibrant forest. Dense Celestial Essence and Spiritual Qi wafted out from inside, while a light breeze that seemed to come from nowhere swayed the grass in and around it. One could imagine that if one managed to find a place to cultivate inside this place, it would definitely bring a lot of benefits.
However, Ning Cheng gave a sigh and did not even think about entering the forest to cultivate. If it weren’t for Song Chengbo’s reminder, he would never have believed that the forest in front of him had innumerable dangers lurking within it. The moment anyone stepped inside, he or she would almost immediately transform into wood, let alone managing to cultivate inside this place.
From what Ning Cheng heard, walking along the periphery of the Wood Transformation Forest, one would find some Starry Sky Spiritual Grasses from time to time. Moreover, the Starry Sky Spiritual Grasses found would not be of a low grade.
Reaching the periphery of the Wood Transformation Forest meant that Ning Cheng had completed at least half his goal. However, even he couldn’t tell how far the boundary of the Wood Transformation Forest extended. At least his current Spiritual Consciousness could not find anything worthwhile within its range. According to what Song Chengbo said, as long as he wandered around the periphery, he definitely would find a Great Heaven Essence Fruit.
As for the matter of asking that woman named Ji Xi to hand over the Purple Yin Spirit Spring Bead, Ning Cheng knew it was utterly useless even to think about it. Not to mention that he simply had no idea how to track down this Ji Xi, even if he did have a method, so what? From what he heard from Gongye Zhu, Ji Xi could easily crush him with just a finger with her cultivation.
Ning Cheng carefully moved around the periphery of the Wood Transformation Forest. Along the way, he still had to circumvent a few statues leaning and fallen on the ground. However, even after walking for two full hours, Ning Cheng only obtained a few strains of ordinary Starry Sky Grade 7 Spiritual Grasses. Not to mention the Great Heaven Essence Fruit, he didn’t see even a single Transformation Spiritual Rattan.
Ning Cheng could guess that most of the good things were already taken away by the people who managed to come here before him. As for the few things left behind, they were only items that were not particularly precious.
It would be impossible to have the same kind of luck as Song Chengbo. Thinking of this, Ning Cheng walked closer to the Wood Transformation Forest, to let his Spiritual Consciousness extend into the Wood Transformation Forest.
Sure enough, when Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness infiltrated into the Wood Transformation Forest, he immediately perceived a lot of good things. Just like that drifting starland from before. Ning Cheng saw several Essence Harmonising Celestial Fruit Trees, which cultivators back then had fought to obtain.
Even the Starry Sky Grade 8 Spiritual Grass, the Ascending Dragon Orchid, that he had previously seen in the Su Clan’s residence, Ning Cheng found several strains of it on the inside. As for Song Chengbo’s Transformation Spiritual Rattan, Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness found a large patch of it inside.
Moreover, this was still near to the periphery. If one entered the forest, how many good things would one find?
Ning Cheng felt a fire starting to rise up within his heart. However, he still did not lose his reasoning. Although these things were good treasures, he might not be able to obtain it with his cultivation. If one wanted to enjoy the good things in life, then one must first be alive. If one wasn’t even alive, then what was the point of hoarding treasures?
Facing these many treasures, Ning Cheng couldn’t help but feel helpless. Just when he was about to recall his Spiritual Consciousness, a spiritual grass bearing a red fruit immediately attracted Ning Cheng’s attention. Ning Cheng knew with just a glance that this fruit was the Great Heaven Essence Fruit, the thing that he wanted the most.
Whether he could refine the Accordance Heavenly Pill was a separate matter, but if he didn’t have the Great Heaven Essence Pill, then it would be impossible to produce the Accordance Heavenly Pill even if he knew how to do it.
Ning Cheng calculated the distance between the periphery of the Wood Transformation Forest and the location of the Great Heaven Essence Fruit and estimated it to around 15 feet. If he used his Twin Wings of the Heavenly Clouds to rush in, grab the Great Heaven Essence Fruit, and then immediately rush out, there was a high chance that it might actually succeed.
However, Ning Cheng had no idea about the dangers within the Wood Transformation Forest. If the plants and vegetation in the Wood Transformation Forest managed to react quickly to entangle him, he would definitely die. If he ended up transformed into a tree here, he might not enjoy the same luck as Song Chengbo, to have someone come to save him.
As a precautionary measure, Ning Cheng brought out an ordinary flying sword. Others might not be able to use their Spiritual Consciousness in this place, but since Ning Cheng could, then he definitely would take advantage of it. Although he only had limited access to his Spiritual Consciousness, the flying sword still managed to reach close to the Great Heaven Essence Fruit in just a short period. However, before the flying sword could cut away the Great Heaven Essence Fruit and return, several vines quickly stretched out and swept away the flying sword before disappearing without a trace.
Looks like he cannot use flying swords to pick up the Great Heaven Essence Fruit. Moreover, because of his limited Spiritual Consciousness, Ning Cheng also could not use it to form a Celestial Essence Palm to grab it.
Ning Cheng stood rooted at the spot for an entire incense stick worth of time before finally deciding to dive in headfirst. Since entering the True Cultivation Starry Sky, he understood that nothing good could be obtained without putting in the effort and taking the required risk to get it. Because of his late arrival, Ning Cheng would have to take the risk or turn back. If it became too dangerous, he could immediately enter the Mysterious Yellow Bead. Although it looked risky, compared to others, the risk was still significantly lower.
Moreover, with his speed, going inside and coming out would only take a breath at most. At the same time, he had also taken note of the speed with which the vines reacted when dealing with the flying sword. From that, Ning Cheng concluded that he would be able to rush in back and forth a few times without getting caught.
Ning Cheng took a deep breath after plotting the path going in and coming out, before activating the Twin Wings of the Heavenly Clouds.
With a faint flash from the Twin Wings of the Heavenly Clouds, Ning Cheng’s silhouette remained in place, but his actual body had already crossed through a distance of 20 feet. This entire process didn’t even take more than a moment. Even so, just when Ning Cheng’s hand reached out to grab the Great Heaven Essence Fruit, a rattan vine suddenly appeared right in front of his hand, with speed unknown times faster than when it caught the flying sword.
Ning Cheng immediately felt horrified that the vines here could change their speed according to the intruder’s momentum. At this point, Ning Cheng understood that he couldn’t grab the Great Heaven Essence Fruit, and immediately controlled the Twin Wings of the Heavenly Clouds to retreat.
However, the rattan vine that had appeared was like a sharp blade, even Ning Cheng’s sturdy body couldn’t stop the rattan vine from penetrating through his skin. Although he had stimulated the Twin Wings of the Heavenly Clouds to its maximum, he simply couldn’t move at all, as another rattan coiled itself around his wrist.
Just when Ning Cheng was about to stimulate the Twin Wings of the Heavenly Clouds to its breaking point to escape from this place, more rattan vines quickly emerged and wrapped themselves around his other hand and feet. At the same time, several more thick vines appeared and encircled his waist.
Just like an already set trap, these rattan vines seemed to possess unparalleled intelligence, not even allowing the slightest chance for Ning Cheng to struggle.
Ning Cheng immediately gave up the idea of breaking free; instead, he quickly tried to enter the Mysterious Yellow Bead. However, by this time, those rattan vines had already wrapped themselves fully around Ning Cheng. Therefore, even if this place did not suppress his Spiritual Consciousness, he would find it difficult to enter the Mysterious Yellow Bead, not to mention now, when these rattan vines quickly weakened his already weakened Spiritual Consciousness.
Only two breaths had passed from the moment Ning Cheng rushed in to grab the Great Heaven Essence Fruit till the time these rattan vines had bound him up.
Yet Ning Cheng, who had already lost his freedom at this time, quickly calmed down and realised that panicking in this situation would not provide any help. As a burst of numbness started to spread out from his wrist, Ning Cheng could immediately guess that in a few moments, maybe his entire body would turn into a tree or a rattan vine.
Ning Cheng’s remaining Spiritual Consciousness immediately swept into the True Spirit World, wanting to see if Chasing Bull or the Exploding Golden Wasps inside could help him out of this predicament.
Chasing Bull could clearly feel the dangerous aura coming from outside and was already shivering in a corner trying to hide, thinking ‘that thing outside could easily ensnare a powerful expert like my master. If master sent me out, wouldn’t it be akin to delivering food to its mouth?’
While Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness came inside looking for Chasing Bull, his wrist seemed to have already started to transform into something similar to wood. However, when his Spiritual Consciousness came inside the True Spirit World, the first being he saw was not Chasing Bull, not the Exploding Golden Wasps, but the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan.
The Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan was growing stronger and stronger every day, and its rattan vines stretched out into the sky like a vibrant green canopy. Not only was it overflowing with lush green vibrancy, but it also exuded suffocating killing intent.
Ning Cheng’s heart jolted at this sight. He had never once used the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan after it recognised him as its master in the Nine-by-nine Celestial Scryer Tower. One, because the Ghost Rattan’s strength had still not developed high enough despite it acknowledging him as its master and second because he was not accustomed to using the ghost rattan against enemies.
Feeling Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness sweeping over, the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan quickly revealed a flattering aura. Whether in the Mysterious Yellow Bead or in the True Spirit World, it only had one master, and that was Ning Cheng. Although Chasing Bull acted with overwhelming pride outside, Chasing Bull did not dare even to provoke the Exploding Golden Wasps inside this place, let alone come near the Ghost Rattan to create a nuisance. However, in front of Ning Cheng, even the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan did not dare to show half-a-point of negligence. After all, just a single thought from Ning Cheng could turn it into ash.
Considering that the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan had madly absorbed the Wood Spiritual Source in the Celestial Scryer Tower, Ning Cheng’s Spiritual Consciousness immediately closed in on the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan and brought it out. Since more and more rattans had started to appear to bind him, he definitely would die in this place if he did not use it now.
As soon as the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan came out, it felt the seemingly boundless and vibrant aura filled with Wooden Spiritual Source. Therefore, the moment Ning Cheng called it out, the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan immediately gave shook with happiness as its rattan vines extended. These rattan vines were like tarsal maggots as they quickly drilled through the vegetation around Ning Cheng.
For the Underworld Crow Ghost Rattan, it had never encountered such vibrant and dense aura of Wooden Spiritual Source to the point that it even contained laws. Although it had a good meal within the Celestial Scryer Tower, the Wood Spiritual Source within the Celestial Scryer Tower was not of very high quality; moreover, even the quantity in the tower was not enough to satisfy it. Regardless, it couldn’t deny its addictiveness.
Therefore, this time, when it encountered such dense quantity of Wood Spiritual Source, it was akin to a banquet solely laid out for it.
