Chapter 1627
Chapter 1627 (Raw 1607): Making Up His Mind
After making up his mind to go all-in, Xiao Chen stopped thinking of other things.
As he quickly collected the golden Life Juice Source, the surrounding scene did not change. The Black Star Sawtooth Sharks seemed to have gone crazy, roaring endlessly as they surrounded the Tree of Life.
Their energy felt inexhaustible. The chief that led them appeared extremely anxious.
The chief could sense the Tree of Life's aura slowly ebbing and could not help becoming even more anxious.
This Tree of Life had been passed down since ancient times in their tribe. It was a god-like existence to the chief.
If this Tree of Life suddenly fell, it would be like how some humans lost their faith. The consequences would be hard to imagine.
The chief wanted to go forward to pull the Tree of Life back several times. However, due to the reverence in its heart, it still did not dare to go and touch the Tree of Life, only following behind.
The situation developed more or less as Xiao Chen expected. As he collected more and more Life Juice Source, that massive Tree of Life started to rise slowly until it floated to the surface. However, those Black Star Sawtooth Sharks also followed it up.
Hundreds of crazed Black Star Sawtooth Sharks created towering, overwhelming waves on the starry sea like a scary storm.
Xiao Chen, who was in the tree, had already collected one ton of Life Juice Source. However, he could not smile when he saw the surrounding situation.
As things stood, the moment he appeared, this group of Black Star Sawtooth Sharks would immediately tear his body apart and eat him up. He would die without leaving even a corpse. There was no other way about it.
What should I do?
The Life Juice Source in the hole was already no longer pure, so Xiao Chen stopped collecting. The expression on his face clearly showed that he was in a spot.
In such a situation, he truly had no ideas at all, unable to come out.
Xiao Chen could only wait until this Tree of Life died and see if the Black Star Sawtooth Sharks would leave.
However, even if the Tree of Life died, these Black Star Sawtooth Sharks would probably not leave empty-handed. They might try to bring it back to the nest.
There was also the possibility that the defenses of the bark would deteriorate after the Tree of Life died. Then, when the starry sea corroded it, Xiao Chen would get exposed.
No matter how he thought about it, the current situation was not optimistic.
Suddenly, Xiao Chen felt a disturbance. The life aura of the Tree of Life actually stopped diminishing. Instead, it started to increase slowly.
This…
Xiao Chen immediately checked with his Spiritual Sense. He only saw that the Tree of Life, which was floating on the sea, had extended tens of thousands of branches interweaved in a complicated fashion.
These branches were like tentacles, all of them stabbing into the body of the Black Star Sawtooth Shark chief and absorbing the Black Star Sawtooth Shark chief's flesh and blood to nourish the Tree of Life.
What was stranger was that the Black Star Sawtooth Shark chief—an extremely powerful, heaven-defying existence—did not resist at all.
This scene shocked Xiao Chen for a while. However, after some consideration, he understood. These Trees of Life grew by relying on the prey that the Black Star Sawtooth Sharks brought back.
It was logical that the Tree of Life could extend its life by absorbing the Black Star Sawtooth Shark chief's flesh and blood.
These Black Star Sawtooth Sharks were normally savage and brutal. Unexpectedly, they were so fanatical when it came to their so-called divine object.
In Xiao Chen's opinion, this was not worth the price.
Of course, this was not the main point, which was that Xiao Chen's situation still did not look optimistic.
After half a day, the Black Star Sawtooth Shark chief's aura weakened significantly. However, it still inspired fear and horror in others.
On the contrary, the Tree of Life was completely stabilized, and its life aura slowly grew stronger.
In the distance, a plain, flat, blue merchant ship traveled on the starry sea, approaching this area.
"Black Star Sawtooth Sharks?"
"Oh my goodness, it is an entire tribe of Black Star Sawtooth Sharks! Quickly, go around! Go around!"
Dozens of figures appeared on that merchant ship.
These people's cultivations were not low. With one look, it was clear that they were not the guards of the ship. However, with one glance at the situation, they quickly hid in the ship.
If it were an ordinary storm, they would be able to force their way through. However, this was a shoal of Black Star Sawtooth Sharks. In that case, they could only detour.
Following this, other merchant ships and adventuring cultivators passed by this stormy sea region. After seeing the Black Star Sawtooth Sharks, they chose to distance themselves immediately without getting a closer look.
However, not everyone in this vast Grave Sea would fear the Black Star Sawtooth Sharks. There would always be some experts around.
Soon, the sky turned dark.
A vast and boundless aura tore through the air and pushed back the countless waves.
When this aura descended, it forcibly suppressed the storm that the Black Star Sawtooth Sharks kicked up.
Then, this aura merged with the sea, and no more storms appeared.
The sea calmed. The rain and waves stopped, leaving the vast sea looking peaceful.
Xiao Chen, who was in the tree hole, was shocked.
"A late-stage Major Primal Core expert!"
However, this late-stage Major Primal Core expert was several times stronger than the three Rank 2 sect elders of similar cultivation in Purple Sun City.
This disparity confused Xiao Chen somewhat. After thinking for a while, he understood.
The entire Grave Sea was replete with dense Spiritual Energy. The level of space was higher here, and gravity was several times that outside.
Cultivators who grew up in such an environment would definitely be stronger than those outside.
It was just like the Sky Dome Realm's Martial Sages being like paper before the Kunlun Realm's Martial Sages.
This also explained why those three Rank 2 sect First Elders were helpless against the Black Lotus Church's black-clad arhat, despite him being only an early-stage Major Primal Core cultivator.
"A Starry Sea Fluorescent Tree?"
"Master, it really is the legendary Tree of Life of the sea. However, doesn't it live at the bottom of the sea?"
A gray-clad old man with white hair led two youths as they passed this sea region.
Without the storm and waves blocking, they could easily see the gargantuan Tree of Life surrounded by the Black Star Sawtooth Sharks.
When the gray-robed old man saw this, he found it strange. Then, he smiled and said, "This is truly such a fortuitous encounter. This Tree of Life has lived for at least ten thousand years. The Life Juice Source in it should have reached the highest quality. However, even if it is not of the highest quality, it should still be something rare."
"Life Juice Source?"
A light clearly flashed in the eyes of the two young men.
The youth on the left seemed to have some knowledge about the Life Juice Source. "I heard that bathing in this Life Juice Source could bring about a transformation of the physical body. If one were a heaven-defying outstanding talent with a Great Desolate bloodline, it would be a tonic of tonics, its effects several times stronger."
"That's right."
The gray-clad old man smiled and said, "Although the two of you are not of a Great Desolate bloodline, this Life Juice Source can still bring you a lot of benefits. Even for me, it is extremely beneficial.
"If you can obtain the Life Juice Source, you can gain a physical body comparable to that of Primal Core Venerates, at the very least. Furthermore, your foundation will be firmer, and your chances of breaking through will be greater. All the more so for your future accomplishments."
On hearing this, the two young men appeared somewhat excited. The two of them were peak Yang Essence cultivators and could advance to half-step Primal Core at any time.
With this Life Juice Source, their futures would be bright.
However, the gray-clad old man's next words immediately made the two of them calm down.
"Nevertheless, we can only think about it. That Black Star Sawtooth Shark in the very center is as strong as a Cloud Sea cultivator. The hundreds of Black Star Sawtooth Sharks around are not easy to deal with, either."
The two youths revealed dispirited looks; they even felt like dying.
Fortuitous encounters…were indeed hard to come by, but they were still too weak.
The gray-clad old man, on the other hand, showed a calm expression, able to let it go. He was aged and had seen many things, experienced many things.
The old man once saw a Distant Ancient Era sect's Dao Tool in a forbidden area of a Remnant. Experts had thrown themselves at it and died, one after another.
There were many things that would not become one's even if one saw it.
"Something's wrong!"
Suddenly, the old man's expression changed slightly. He gathered his Mental Energy in his eyes and looked into the distance. Then, his gaze fell on the Black Star Sawtooth Shark chief.
The old man discovered that the branches of the Tree of Life had stabbed into this Black Star Sawtooth Shark chief's body from underwater.
"So, that is what's happening: one dying Tree of Life and one Cloud Sea Black Star Sawtooth Shark that appears weak."
The gray-clad old man revealed a smile. He had been about to leave, but now he changed his mind.
A gleam of excitement flashed in the old man's eyes.
"Master, what's wrong?" The two disciples could tell that something was off.
The gray-robed old man smiled mysteriously. "Perhaps, this fortuitous encounter is truly a fortuitous encounter. I'll send a message to my two junior brothers to make a trip over."
