Chapter 383 - 354: Collecting the Tree Demon, The Last Moments of Chixia

Chapter 383: Chapter 354: Collecting the Tree Demon, The Last Moments of Chixia

Tree Demons, like Demon Beasts, were nothing to be trifled with.

There were countless records of them in the Cultivator World. Some Peach Tree Demons could conjure Maze Arrays to siphon away a person’s vital essence. Others, like the Locust Tree Demons, kept Ghost Cultivators to steal Essence Blood. Just like Demon Beasts, every Tree Demon that became a Spirit Monster was a dominant entity, occupying its own territory at the top of the food chain.

Mortals and Cultivators, birds and beasts—all were on the menu.

To a Demon Beast, a Cultivator was like a powerful tonic. For a Tree Demon, the same was true... Even an Earth Store Profound Tree that hadn’t yet become a demon could use Essence Blood to shorten its growth cycle.

Perhaps the other party had repeatedly sent out its Divine Sense to deliberately lure them into a trap. A Tree Demon with a Divine Sense at the Golden Core Great Perfection level would absolutely have the power to wipe them all out right here.

That was why everyone grew vigilant when the Little Chick landed on the willow tree, fearing it would suddenly erupt in violence. They were, therefore, stunned to suddenly hear Chen Che speak.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"I see!"

After closing his eyes to communicate for a moment, Chen Che finally gave a slight nod.

Through their Divine Sense exchange, he learned that this Willow Tree Demon was not originally from this place. It had once lived on the shore of a lake for countless years until a bolt of Celestial Thunder suddenly descended, jolting it out of its simple existence and into sentience.

Countless sunrises and sunsets passed. There were times of peace and times of turmoil. Demon Beasts made nests in its branches, and Cultivators tried to split its trunk open to take its core... All the while, it grew taller and larger.

But one day, a group of Cultivators suddenly invaded the lakeshore. It resisted with all its might but was ultimately overpowered. They uprooted it from the soil, sealed its Cultivation, and after it changed hands a few times, it was planted here.

Of course.

Even a Tree Demon, unable to move, still yearned for freedom.

The Traveling Palace was enormous, but it was located deep within the Marsh Forest, never seeing the light of day. With no living creatures to communicate with, it was no different from a slightly larger prison to the Tree Demon.

"What should we do?"

"Should we really take it with us?"

"What if it turns on us? With our strength, who could possibly suppress it?"

Surprised by Chen Che’s account, the group broke into a flurry of discussion.

Meng Qianxun and Meng Changtu in particular, as Beast Masters, knew full well how difficult wild members of the Demon Race were to tame. Unless they were raised from a young age or completely overwhelmed by superior strength, it was nearly impossible to make them submit.

For it to be so proactive was, therefore, completely unexpected.

It was like encountering a tiger in the wild that asked you to lead it out of the mountains. A normal person’s first reaction wouldn’t be delight, but fear of being eaten, followed by concern about all the trouble that would come after.

"Are you willing to sign a contract?"

Meng Qianxun asked. The tree’s trunk swayed, clearly indicating its unwillingness. After a moment of thought, she asked another question:

"Who are you willing to go with?"

As she finished speaking, everyone grew slightly tense, then looked on with a hint of anticipation.

The risk was enormous, it was true.

But the potential reward was just as great. Having a Tree Demon of this level guarding a family clan would be no less valuable than a Mountain Protection Array. If they could pull it off, it was worth taking a few risks.

To everyone’s disappointment, several of the Willow Tree Demon’s branches swayed slightly, pointing to the Little Chick perched on it.

No one was particularly surprised to see this.

After all.

Tree Demons were known to form symbiotic relationships and coexist harmoniously with Demon Beasts. They had already guessed the outcome from the moment the Little Chick landed on the Willow Tree Demon without any objection; in fact, the tree had even seemed affectionate.

"I can take you away from here and plant you there. Would that be satisfactory?"

As all eyes turned to him, Chen Che pondered for a moment before stepping forward. He used his Divine Sense to project an image of the scenery within Jinyun Valley. Of course, his thoughts were the same as everyone else’s. If he was going to take the Willow Tree Demon, he would naturally have to plant it in his own backyard.

If it was unwilling, he would have to reconsider whether the deal was worth it.

The Willow Tree Demon seemed stunned for a moment, then immediately began waving its branches around, as if making a guarantee.

Seeing this, Chen Che spoke again:

"Of course, we must sign a contract. This will be a contract of equals. I won’t command you at will, but the condition is that once you reside there, you are forbidden from harming any living creature within the valley. And, naturally, you are not to harm any of us before then."

As he spoke, a golden contract woven from Divine Sense slowly materialized in mid-air.

Everyone watched with nervous expressions.

No one dared treat it as a mere tree. An existence that had cultivated to such a Realm was one that each person here would have to respectfully address as an equal. Its power was no less than that of the two masters from the Primordial Sect and the Star-Picking Sect.

The process went smoothly. Under everyone’s tense gaze, the Willow Tree Demon seemed to finish reading the contract and signed it without a hint of hesitation.

The moment the contract was established, the Willow Tree Demon grew anxious.

"When will you take me out of here?"

"Wait a moment."

With the contract sealed, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, knowing they were no longer under threat. Chen Che, in turn, grew curious about the willow tree’s species. If it turned out to be a rare type of Tree Demon, he would have truly hit the jackpot.

Demon Beasts had bloodlines, and so Tree Demons naturally had different species.

Its species, much like a Cultivator’s innate talent, determined the upper limit of its Cultivation Realm.

Unfortunately, after circling the Willow Tree Demon a few times, Chen Che discovered he didn’t possess such heaven-defying luck. This was just a common Willow Tree Demon. It had only embarked on the path of a Demon Cultivator because it was accidentally struck by lightning, which awakened its Spiritual Sense.

But this was the advantage of being a Tree Demon: among all living things, their lifespans were absolutely top-tier, giving them ample time to advance their Cultivation Realm.

Of course.

Nothing was absolute. Even Tree Demons would one day see their lifespans run out.

Upon discovering it was just a common species of tree, Chen Che abandoned his pointless hopes and turned his attention back to the Traveling Palace itself.

"When did True Master Chixia die? What else is there inside this Traveling Palace... Don’t be anxious. We’ll take you with us as soon as we’ve finished searching the place."

The Willow Tree Demon didn’t hide anything, haltingly recounting everything that had happened during True Master Chixia’s final days.

It had been transplanted here when True Master Chixia was still in the prime of his life. Back then, the Traveling Palace had been a lively place, filled not only with all sorts of flowers and plants, but also rare and exotic beasts.

Many Cultivators even came to pay their respects.

But as time went on, True Master Chixia’s aura gradually weakened. Later, True Master Chixia sealed the Traveling Palace. He was rarely there, often venturing outside, and every time he returned, he was utterly exhausted.

The Spirit Treasures within the Traveling Palace began to disappear one by one, replaced by vast quantities of Spirit Stones and all sorts of strange Spiritual Objects. Then one day, he suddenly gathered up all the remaining Spirit Treasures in the palace and tossed them into that Pill Furnace.

He even wanted to throw the tree into the furnace as well, but since he was no longer a match for it, he ultimately had to give up.

Then.

It watched as True Master Chixia sat before that Pill Furnace, day after day, amidst sky-high flames. It didn’t know how long passed, but eventually, True Master Chixia’s aura was extinguished along with the fire. Immediately after, the entire Traveling Palace was completely sealed here, never to see the light of day again, and had remained so until now.

"It seems True Master Chixia’s lifespan was at its end. He was preparing to make one final attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, but he exhausted the last of his life force in the middle of the Alchemy process."

Meng Qianxun speculated after hearing the Willow Tree Demon’s account.

"If all the valuable things were used for Alchemy, doesn’t that mean we came here for nothing?"

Meng Changtu complained, sounding rather displeased.

They had come expecting to find the entire fortune of a Golden Core Great Perfection master, only to be told that he had already squandered everything of value.

"This Traveling Palace is huge. There are bound to be some valuable things left if we search," Chen Che said casually. "Besides, this Taibai Jade Bamboo Forest alone is worth a fortune."

Even if Taibai Jade Bamboo was considered a lesser material among Same-Tier Spiritual Objects, the sheer quantity was immense.

These things might not have been considered treasures to True Master Chixia, but they were certainly valuable to them. It was like how trash disdained by a Foundation Establishment master might be a priceless treasure to a Qi Refining Cultivator.

And so, the group dispersed to search the Traveling Palace.

Sure enough, their thorough search turned up a number of abandoned Spiritual Artifacts and Spirit Herbs growing in the ruins. However, the most valuable discovery was still the pool of Pill Liquid inside the Pill Furnace.

This was the final batch of Pills True Master Chixia had attempted to refine using half a lifetime’s worth of accumulated wealth.

After making a round, everyone gathered before the Pill Furnace once more, like mice drawn to oil.

"Come."

Chen Che beckoned with his finger. A drop of the Spirit Liquid flew out and into his mouth. He swallowed it, and after a moment under everyone’s nervous gaze, he nodded.

"I’ve never encountered Pills of this grade, so I can’t be certain, but it’s highly likely these were meant to help one reach the Nascent Soul Realm and extend one’s lifespan. In any case, this Spirit Liquid contains an immense amount of Spiritual Power. This single drop alone is equivalent to at least half a year’s worth of True Essence from arduous Cultivation."

’One drop was worth half a year of Cultivation.’

Everyone’s gaze on the Spirit Liquid instantly became fervent.

This was especially true for Meng Changtu and Meng Qianxun. Ever since reaching the Golden Core Realm, they had to cultivate arduously just to gather the tiniest sliver of True Essence. This pool of Pill Liquid, while not vast, weighed at least several pounds.

The group immediately divided the Pill Liquid, split the rest of the treasures, and then Chen Che approached the Willow Tree Demon.

"I’ll take you out of here now. Don’t resist..."

After receiving an affirmative reply, Chen Che summoned his Yellow Gourd.

"Rise!"

Focusing his will on his Dantian, a torrent of dense True Essence surged out and poured into the Gourd. Instantly, an immense suction force enveloped the Willow Tree Demon and gave it a powerful yank.

In that instant, the ground seemed to shatter. Countless intricate roots, as thick as horned dragons and spreading through nearly half the bamboo forest, were ripped out completely. With a deafening sound of tearing and splintering, the entire tree was pulled into the Gourd.

Seeing this, the tense look on Chen Che’s face finally eased. The group then made a few more rounds inside the Traveling Palace, and after confirming that nothing had been missed, they decisively departed.