Chapter 1339: Divine Sun Tree

The True Vermillion Bird Feather!

Bai’s judgment had been correct.

The Southern Sun Fire had indeed originated from this sacred beast's feather.

The True Vermillion Bird Feather floated within the flames. Its body was extremely thin and light, its color nearly identical to the dark-red Southern Sun Fire, without the slightest impurity. It lacked the dazzling multicolored brilliance of phoenix feathers, yet its beauty was no less magnificent.

Strands of delicate filament-like barbs drifted softly in the fire. The feather itself resembled a cluster of flames, perfectly fused with the Southern Sun Fire.

It was difficult to imagine that such a violent demon fire had originated from such a thin feather.

It was a blessing in disguise.

Originally, locating the True Vermillion Bird Feather within the raging Southern Sun Fire would have been extremely dangerous and troublesome. Qin Sang’s confidence had been below thirty percent, and this step had been the most likely place for an accident to occur.

Yet after the Southern Sun Fire erupted, the True Vermillion Bird Feather had unexpectedly revealed itself.

Qin Sang carefully observed the feather and was delighted to discover that it was completely intact!

He still remembered how, back then, the Nine Phoenix Monarch had used a fragment of a True Heavenly Phoenix Feather to pierce through the ancient barriers inside the inner hall of the Seven-Kill Hall. Later, when several demon kings entered the inner hall, they had clearly relied on the power of that True Heavenly Phoenix Feather.

Although that had also been related to the Heavenly Phoenix’s innate mastery over spatial supernatural abilities, it was enough to demonstrate the terrifying power of sacred beast feathers.

The Southern Sun Fire originated from a sacred beast feather, yet the green copper could suppress it. Qin Sang truly could not imagine the green copper's origins. At that thought, joy appeared on his face. When refining this astra, he had prepared precisely for this possibility. Today, there was a real chance he could subdue the Southern Sun Fire!

Qin Sang stared at the scorching demon fire aura and slowly approached the Southern Sun Fire step by step.

His gaze remained fixed on the True Vermillion Bird Feather as he considered his next move. The feather was the source of the Southern Sun Fire.

There was no need to concern himself with the surrounding demon fire. As long as he seized the True Vermillion Bird Feather itself and subdued it, everything would be accomplished.

Although he could now clearly see the feather’s location, pulling it out of the demon fire would not be easy. He would still need to take risks.

Because of the fire’s eruption, all the methods he had prepared beforehand had become useless. He could only adapt on the spot.

Qin Sang stood there for a long while, deep in thought.

His gaze swept repeatedly between the True Vermillion Bird Feather, the Southern Sun Fire, and the golden-thread ancient barrier. He continuously deduced the feasibility of various approaches, and gradually, a plan began to form in his mind.

Although I can’t comprehend the golden-thread ancient barrier itself, by observing the clash between the barrier and the demon fire, I should be able to discover certain patterns. Then I can borrow the barrier's power to achieve my goal. Qin Sang immediately acted on the idea.

He retreated some distance, easing the scorching heat somewhat, then took out a bottle of pills and swallowed all of them. Ignoring the rapid depletion of his true essence, he focused entirely on observing the changing patterns within the golden-thread ancient barrier.

Time slowly passed.

This unexpected series of events had consumed far more time than Qin Sang had anticipated. Fortunately, he had not received any message from Bai and could devote himself wholeheartedly to the task.

Who knew how much time had gone by before Qin Sang’s brows gradually relaxed, as though he had discovered something.

The Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet transmitted an unusual fluctuation, and only then did Qin Sang realize that very little true essence remained within his body. He could only leave the hidden passage for the time being.

Sitting cross-legged at the entrance of the stone hall, he swallowed pills and recovered himself completely.

Afterward, Qin Sang returned to the hidden passage and looked eagerly toward the Southern Sun Fire. A flash of white light flickered across his palm, and the newly refined astra appeared in his left hand.

The astra possessed a rather unique form, resembling a white copper tree.

Its base was the shell of the Nine-Life Black Tortoise. After Qin Sang refined it, the shell’s outward appearance had not changed much, except that the patterns on its back had faded slightly.

The true transformation lay within. The green copper had already been embedded inside the shell.

This step alone had exhausted an enormous amount of Qin Sang’s mental energy. He had attempted it countless times before finally achieving a perfect fusion without causing the two treasures to conflict.

The spiritual tree grew directly from the tortoise shell. Its trunk was ancient and vigorous, branching into numerous limbs. It had been refined primarily from the mysterious white copper, alongside other spiritual materials, so the entire tree appeared white.

At this moment, the white copper's power remained fully restrained. Unlike before, it no longer radiated blazing brilliance and instead appeared somewhat pale.

Holding the tree, Qin Sang approached the edge of the Southern Sun Fire. Feeling the terrifying might of the fire, he held his breath and suddenly raised his other hand, pressing it toward the stone wall.

The ancient barrier constantly shifted and changed, gradually brightening from a dim state.

A phantom hand seal landed precisely upon one of the runes, causing the barrier to shine even brighter.

In contrast, the fire’s power became somewhat suppressed.

Naturally, Qin Sang could not possibly have comprehended the ancient barrier in such a short time. With the assistance of the Sky-Eyed Butterfly, however, he had managed to discern the patterns within its transformations and act according to them.

The moment the opportunity appeared, Qin Sang poured all his true essence into the tree and charged directly into the fire. Waves from the green copper spread outward from the tree, suppressing the Southern Sun Fire’s power.

Protected by the tree, Qin Sang successfully rushed inside. Joy flashed through his eyes as he immediately directed the tree toward the True Vermillion Bird Feather.

Then an unexpected scene occurred.

Without warning, the True Vermillion Bird Feather suddenly flickered and vanished into thin air. In the next instant, it reappeared one zhang away, still drifting gently in the flames, while the tree struck nothing but empty space.

Qin Sang froze in astonishment. He had never imagined the feather would evade him. He had completely miscalculated!

The green copper's protection could only last briefly, so Qin Sang had no choice but to grab the tree and retreat.

Though the attempt had been short, both his mind and true essence had been heavily drained.

He stared intently at the True Vermillion Bird Feather and discovered that it had once again become motionless. There were no abnormal changes. Evidently, it did not possess intelligence. Most likely, the feather and the green copper naturally conflicted with each other, causing the feather to instinctively evade.

Qin Sang found the situation extremely troublesome. After recovering himself, he attempted several more times.

Each attempt ended in failure. The True Vermillion Bird Feather was simply too hard to catch.

Qin Sang remained calm. After pondering for a while, he concluded that he would likely need to continue studying the ancient barrier and use its power to restrict the feather’s movement.

With that thought, he once more turned his attention toward the ancient barrier. Fortunately, thanks to the Sky Eyes divine ability and his prolonged observation, Qin Sang finally discovered something new.

After adjusting his breathing and restoring himself again, Qin Sang returned to the hidden passage with far greater confidence. Leaving the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet outside the fire, he charged into the Southern Sun Fire without hesitation.

The tree descended toward the True Vermillion Bird Feather. The familiar scene repeated itself as the feather flickered away.

But at that exact instant, the Spiritual Infant Talisman Puppet slammed its fist into the ancient barrier. Golden light erupted brilliantly, and just as expected, the feather was affected by the disturbance. When it reappeared, its trajectory unfolded exactly as Qin Sang had predicted!

And the tree happened to be waiting there. The instant the feather appeared, the tree suddenly descended!

Whoosh! The demon fire exploded violently.

Qin Sang ignored it entirely. His hand seals changed rapidly, and the base of the tree suddenly emitted a streak of green light that landed perfectly upon the feather itself.

The True Vermillion Bird Feather dimmed abruptly and was forcibly dragged inside by the green light.

Rumble! The tortoise shell shook violently. The patterns on its back visibly turned crimson at astonishing speed, and the color rapidly spread toward the tree itself. Even the white copper was dyed red.

Then the flower buds upon the tree’s branches bloomed one after another, giving birth to clusters of crimson aura. There were exactly nine blossoms!

Qin Sang looked at the divine tree and suddenly thought. What a pity it isn’t a Three-Legged Crow. Otherwise, this would truly have become a genuine Divine Sun Tree![1]

1. The three-legged crow is a mythological creature in various mythologies and arts of East Asia. It is believed to inhabit and represent the Sun. The Divine Sun Tree is the tree which the Three-Legged Crows perch on. ☜