Chapter 2178 Raw 2285 : Cracks in the Sky
After Xiao Chen spent two days in closed-door cultivation, the one-hundred-thousand-year-old Herb King actually took the initiative to fly towards him.
“What’s going on?”
Strange things always happened for a reason. Xiao Chen remained cautious and spread his arms out. Then, he left a faint purple mark where he was and reappeared above the valley, distancing himself for now.
He looked towards the horizon, sensing several strong auras behind the Herb King.
Clearly, these were false Emperors of the various super factions or half-step Sovereign Emperors who could fight against false Emperors. The weaker cultivators were not qualified to participate in the fight for the Herb King.
These people could only watch from afar, waiting to see if they might get lucky, even though the chances were extremely slim.
Xiao Chen looked around and focused his attention on the one-hundred-thousand-year-old Herb King.
With a contemplative look, he pondered the situation. After a while, he muttered to himself, “It is injured?”
Trying to subdue a Herb King in this medicinal field is not simple. A ten-thousand-year-old Herb King’s combat prowess already rivals a half-step Sovereign Emperor’s. Its only disadvantage is not knowing Martial Techniques.
The Herb King’s advantages are its familiarity with this world, understanding the surroundings well, and being good at fleeing. If one does not pay attention, it will escape.
While Herb Kings do not have complete souls, they are intelligent. Naturally, they run if injured.
The question is, why is it coming over to me? Is it a coincidence, or is it intentional?
“This is not a coincidence!”
A bright light flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes when he figured out the reason. The Primal Chaos Heaven Replenishing Ointment’s aura probably attracted this one-hundred-thousand-year-old Herb King.
It made sense. This place was originally just a lifeless, desolate valley. Just the Primal Chaos Heaven Replenishing Ointment’s aura itself allowed life to abound in this valley, blanketing it in blooming flowers. This showed how horrifying the effect of this medicine was.
“Bang!”
A loud sound rang out. That one-hundred-thousand-year-old Herb King entered the bottom of the valley.
Xiao Chen saw it clearly and immediately felt excited. It was a Thunder Cliff Tree.
This Spirit Tree typically grew at the summit of a thunder cliff, receiving the baptism of lightning and thunder. From the moment it was born, it would suffer one thousand days of lightning tribulation. After surviving three years of lightning tribulations, it could continue to live.
It would absorb the power of lightning for tens, hundreds, thousands of years and undergo a tribulation every one thousand years, which would leave a tribulation mark on its body. Xiao Chen looked carefully. This Thunder Cliff Tree had more than one hundred tribulation marks densely packed together.
At this moment, the Thunder Cliff Tree’s trunk was only about four-thirds of a meter tall, just a small tree with crisscrossing branches. The purple leaves on its branches looked like they were made of quality metal.
Xiao Chen could clearly sense that this Thunder Cliff Tree’s aura had weakened. The spiritual light on its body was significantly dimmer than what he saw two days ago.
After the Thunder Cliff Tree reached the valley floor, an anxious emotion spread out in the air.
Xiao Chen saw the Thunder Cliff Tree brighten after it absorbed the remnant Medicinal Energy from the plants around.
However, compared to its heavy injuries, this Medicinal Energy was like a drop in the ocean, far from enough.
“Whoosh!”
Xiao Chen’s expression changed slightly when he sensed the power of the world lock on to him. It was the Thunder Cliff Tree searching around and finally finding him above it.
A spiritual light flickered, and electric light crackled endlessly at the bottom of the valley. Purple-black electricity lingered in the air, producing a shocking, baleful aura.
The Thunder Cliff Tree felt excited at having finally found the source of the Medicinal Energy.
Xiao Chen felt like an evil ferocious beast was staring at him, an intolerable sensation. However, he was no stranger to this feeling.
The Herb Kings in Paradise were very ferocious, affected by the Demonic Qi, unlike those found outside.
The Thunder Cliff Tree pounced at Xiao Chen like it had found the most delectable thing in the world.
“Rumble…!”
As the Thunder Cliff Tree bounded over, it carried the power of lightning. The chaotic and pitch-black sky hurled down purple-black lightning. A horrifying aura spread out in all directions as if powerful ferocious beasts appeared.
The fluctuation of aura felt like heartbeats beating in tandem with Xiao Chen’s.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Xiao Chen’s heart pounded faster as if it would leap out of his chest. He remained unmoving, showing a cold and stern expression.
He thought, I cultivate the Thunder Dao and grasp the Thunder Dao Domain. Now that I am back at my peak, I do not fear this severely injured Thunder Cliff Tree.
However…
The various super faction outstanding talents were chasing this Spirit Tree.
If Xiao Chen could not subdue the Thunder Cliff Tree in ten breaths, leaving would be impossible when its pursuers caught up. After all, most of them were false Emperors. With so many of them, they could surround him. Although he did not fear false Emperors, it would be hard to stay safe when surrounded.
At that time, not to mention retreating, if Xiao Chen got careless, he might die.
Cultivating the Martial Dao was like riding a boat going against the current. If one did not progress, one would regress. Along their path, everyone would run into fortuitous encounters. A decision might take an instant, but it might end up changing one’s life.
Either one died, or one obtained the fortuitous encounter.
Xiao Chen had faced many such decisions before. Most of the time, he would choose to gamble. However, when he was not confident, he would retreat.
Without even a ten percent chance of success, an attempt would be foolish.
Xiao Chen did not know his odds of success. So, advancing or retreating did not matter.
Most importantly, he had to be decisive and not hesitate.
Xiao Chen simulated the battle in his mind; all it took was an instant. Then, he made his decision.
“Fight!”
With a cold shout, Xiao Chen’s battle hunger blazed, disrupting the heavy aura in the surroundings.
He settled his heart, which seemed like it would leap out of his chest. Then, he stretched out his hand while above the valley.
Ten…
The back of Xiao Chen’s hand faced the sky, while the palm faced the ground.
Nine…
Firmament’s Rage, covering the sky with a hand!
“Whoosh!”
A gigantic hand containing a Great Desolate Eon Ancestor Dragon’s rage appeared, covering the sky. Darkness encased the place, and the back of that gigantic hand blocked the thousands of bolts of purple-black lightning streaking down.
Xiao Chen clenched his fist. The gigantic hand grabbed all the purple-black lightning in the surroundings and exploded in the next moment. Lightning mixed with saber light swept through the place and lingered.
Eight…
Xiao Chen activated the Divine Seal in his Soul Pool. Then, he jumped down while draped in a bedsheet, pouncing at the ferocious Thunder Cliff Tree.
The lingering lightning prevented the Thunder Cliff Tree from connecting with the world, depriving it of half its ability.
Seven…
The Thunder Cliff Tree’s aura decreased significantly. However, it paused for only a moment in these desperate straits before it burst forth with all its ferocious nature.
Six…
The Thunder Cliff Tree immediately turned savage and scary. A black aura wriggled around it like an exceptionally powerful ferocious beast.
Five…
All of the Thunder Cliff Tree’s branches shook as if baring fangs and claws. After it showed its ferocious side, its aura was not much inferior to that of a false Emperor.
Four…
Xiao Chen approached the Thunder Cliff Tree. Time flew by, leaving him with only three seconds.
However, the Thunder Cliff Tree went berserk. Its keen sense detected the Primal Chaos Heaven Replenishing Ointment’s aura on Xiao Chen, which drove it into a frenzy. This was a medicine that could save its life.
Flawless saber Dao, using my thoughts as a saber. Heartbreaking Stance!
The instant the two came in contact, Xiao Chen roared and sped up. He counted off the last three seconds in his heart, but he did so within one second.
Three! Two! One!
At this moment, the intense pain in Xiao Chen’s chest swelled throughout his body. During the final second, he brought out his full potential, a strong aura bursting forth.
A bright light flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes as he pulled off the bedsheet with his right hand. The wrinkled bedsheet formed a saber, and he executed his peak strike.
A saber light flashed very quickly, appearing only for an instant.
“Whoosh!”
Before the Thunder Cliff Tree could bring out its killing move, the saber light struck it. It lost its ferocious nature and fell to the valley floor.
Although Xiao Chen said ten seconds—or ten breaths—he gave himself only eight seconds, unleashing his killing move in advance. Under the immense pressure, his Heartbreaking Stance surpassed its peak.
“Humph!”
To think that a Spirit Herb wants to consume me. How foolish!
Xiao Chen snorted coldly and grabbed the Thunder Cliff Tree, which had lost all its ferocious nature. Then, he left with a flash.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two seconds later, many figures started descending into the valley. Among this group were the Profound Heaven Holy Land’s Mu Yunzhu and Gu Yuhan, the Universe Origin Sect’s Chu Feng and Fang Shaobai, the Martial God Palace’s Xiahou Wu and Bai Yunfei, and the Hidden Spirit Temple’s Yuan Zhen.
These seven appeared at the same time, most showing unsightly expressions. As they rushed over, they had sensed the fluctuations of a battle.
Feeling anxious, they used their trump cards to increase their speed, racing to the valley.
Initially, these people thought that even if someone else tried to take advantage of the situation, that person could not subdue the Thunder Cliff Tree so quickly and would end up helping them subdue the Herb King instead.
Unexpectedly, when these seven landed, they found no one nor the Thunder Cliff Tree, only some lingering aura.
“It’s that weirdo draped in a bedsheet!”
The Universe Origin Sect’s Chu Feng showed an extremely sullen expression as he said, “I saw a flash of an afterimage. However, it should be right. No one else’s afterimage would have the silhouette of a bedsheet, aside from his!”
“Damn it!”
This group had rushed along the way and made use of their full strength several times. Even though they were late by only one second, they would find it tough to catch up.
This immediately frustrated everyone. Over the past two days, they had fought battles of courage and wits with the Thunder Cliff Tree. The process felt like torture, greatly fatiguing them. In the end, that eccentric fellow quickly subdued it.
Who would not be angry at that?
Mu Yunzhu saw Gu Yuhan make an exceptionally unsightly expression. Gu Yuhan’s hand also trembled while holding the pipe. He could not help asking out of curiosity, “Senior Brother Gu, what’s wrong?”
Gu Yuhan was now sure that Xiao Chen had fooled him two days ago. Xiao Chen should have been a spent force at that time.
That was why Xiao Chen had run to this deserted place to recover his strength. Had Gu Yuhan not been fooled at that time, this scene would not have appeared.
“I’m fine,” Gu Yuhan replied calmly as he suppressed the rage in his heart.
Seeing the situation, Mu Yunzhu did not pursue the matter. However, he thought that there was more to this.
Of the seven, only the Hidden Spirit Temple’s Yuan Zhen gazed into the distance with a contemplative look.
“Everyone, should we give chase or not?”
“Chase! Even if we have to chase to the ends of the world, I want that fellow to spit out the Thunder Cliff Tree!” Chu Feng said in anger. He and Fang Shaobai were the ones who found the Thunder Cliff Tree; it should have belonged to the two of them.
“Rumble…!”
However, just at this moment, miserable shrieks come from the ground. Cracks immediately blasted open in the sky. The entire herb field shook endlessly.
The expressions of the seven changed dramatically. Yuan Zhen said seriously, “Everyone, we cannot remain in this herb field any longer.”
Right after Yuan Zhen spoke, he turned and left with a slightly grim expression.
The other six did not have much time to think. They glanced at the cracks in the sky, hesitated for a moment, then followed Yuan Zhen, leaving hastily.
