The massive pine tree had finally managed to shuffle to the edge of the Blood-Prison Pool. It found a prime spot where the sunlight hit just right, and the blood energy and spirit qi from the pool were exceptionally dense. Then, it stopped.
It extended its roots, driving them swiftly and powerfully into the ground. The entire trunk then settled firmly into place, fitting so perfectly it looked as if it had always grown there.
Once it had secured its footing, it shook its canopy in a remarkably human-like manner, appearing to heave a sigh of relief.
Immediately after, it struck an innocent pose, acting as if it were just an ordinary old pine tree that had been there all along.
Only the trail of mud and footprints it had left behind while moving was still glaringly obvious.
While Chen Zhou was observing this, several netherflame ghost servants floated over in a line toward the Blood-Prison Pool, carrying materials.
However, their usual path was blocked by the massive pine tree.
The netherflames mistook it for overlooked timber. They swarmed forward together, attempting to dismantle the wood blocking their way to haul it back to the warehouse as building material.
Death energy made contact with the bark, producing faint, crackling sounds.
If it were a normal tree—even a hundred-year-old ironwood—it would have long since splintered into segments under the netherflames' dismantling. Yet, this massive pine tree didn’t even wobble.
Its gnarled branches remained motionless, and its lush needles stayed a vibrant, dripping green. It was as if the netherflames' attempts to break it down were nothing more than a gentle breeze passing over a mountain ridge.
'Hm?' Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly.
Although the netherflames weren't specialized for direct combat, they were his creations and contained his death energy. Even an ordinary third-stage cultivator or demon beast would find it extremely unpleasant to be ensnared by them.
Where did this pine tree come from?
It had slipped into his territory without a sound. If its form hadn't been so conspicuous and its chosen rooting spot so peculiar, Chen Zhou might not have immediately noticed anything unusual even with his sea of consciousness coverage.
If the pine tree had intended to hide, it could have rooted itself in any ordinary timber forest and perfectly blended in with the environment, making it nearly impossible to distinguish.
The pine tree didn't contain a trace of demonic qi, so it clearly wasn't a snake demon or any other kind of tree demon. Its branches were gnarled and vigorous, with a faint, overflowing spiritual rhythm that hummed with vitality. It actually harmonized quite well with the atmosphere of the City of the Wrongfully Dead.
'Interesting.'
Chen Zhou summoned a few more skeletons to test it. The result was a total defeat for his summons; the old pine remained as steady as a mountain, and the skeletons couldn't even break through its defense.
After being repeatedly harrassed and attacked, the massive pine tree finally seemed to realize that its enormous size had completely exposed it. However, it didn't show the slightest bit of guilt for trespassing. Instead, it was quite thick-skinned.
It had chosen this auspicious spot and had no intention of moving.
The canopy of the old pine shook gently, carrying a hint of helplessness. Then, two pine cones, each the size of a baby’s fist, dropped from its needles.
One drifted lightly toward Chen Zhou. The other fell straight into the Blood-Prison Pool.
Splash!
As the pine cone hit the water, the dragon carp that had been lazily swimming in the pool suddenly went into a frenzy, as if they had caught the scent of an unparalleled delicacy. They flicked their golden scales, vying with each other to swim toward the pine cone. They splashed and struggled, losing every bit of their usual elegant composure.
Chen Zhou had left the dragon carp to roam freely in the Blood-Prison Pool, and this was the first time he had seen them show such an intense desire to compete.
Withdrawing his gaze, Chen Zhou looked at the pine cone in front of him.
【unaging pine cone】
【A fruit from the joined branches of the Unaging Pine; it produces one cone every hundred years, brimming with vitality and the rhythm of the Dao of time.】
【Consumption can slightly extend one's lifespan, cleanse the physical body of chronic ailments, and clear the mind; there may be other unknown benefits.】
It was actually a rank-6 heaven-sent treasure?
Chen Zhou toyed with the pine cone in his hand. He looked at the pine tree, which was still firmly rooted by the Blood-Prison Pool, acting as if it had paid its protection fee and was now there by right.
'Fine.'
Chen Zhou laughed inwardly. Considering the protection fee was substantial enough—and since he was already raising fish—there was no harm in raising a tree as well.
He waved his hand, dispersing the netherflames and skeletons that were still trying to pick a fight with the tree.
'The City of the Wrongfully Dead is getting weirder and weirder. Why does every strange thing want to run into my home?'
"Is it very strange?"
"Are these thank-you gifts I've prepared strange?"
Inside the main hall of the Corpse Soul Sect, the Paper Great Elder looked at the lavish gifts he had carefully selected and couldn't help but ask.
There were several crates of decent-quality low-grade spirit stones, some herbs of sufficient age, and several magical artifacts of respectable grade.
His brow furrowed slightly with uncertainty as he looked around at the other elders.
An elder with a more meticulous mind spoke up hesitantly, "We have heard that the lord is a proper deity of the Underworld. While these common spirit stones and herbs represent the best of our abilities, they might not necessarily catch the eye of a god."
Someone echoed, "Indeed, they are just unrefined junk."
Hearing this, the Great Elder felt as if he had been struck by realization.
That was true!
He was using the mindset of a mundane sect to speculate on the desires of a true god who could descend across realms and wipe out the Locust Mother and the Smiling Face Buddha with a wave of his hand!
Offering these gifts—which were considered decent in the cultivation world—to an orthodox deity of the Underworld was not just inadequate; it was practically a profanation!
It was like a commoner trying to offer a few copper coins to a legitimate immortal sect. It was almost comical.
How could he be so lacking in decorum?
Many days had passed since the battle with the Locust Mother. During this time, the paper-doll disciples of the Corpse Soul Sect had led the way in purging the flying locusts, aided by Piao’s devouring ability, which acted as a perfect counter to copper poison.
The copper poison within the borders of Kushi County had been almost entirely cleared.
A few days ago, Jian Huaishuang had returned with news that the deity had agreed to grant them an audience. He also informed them that tomorrow would be the God's Grace Festival designated by the lord.
This caused the entire Corpse Soul Sect to elevate the importance of this audience to an unprecedented level.
They must not be disrespectful!
The Great Elder took a deep breath and said solemnly, "In that case, in your opinions, what should we prepare to show our sincerity and honor the god's grace?"
The hall was suddenly filled with the sound of rustling paper as they discussed.
"Malevolent ghosts?"
"The strongest malevolent ghost we've refined is only at the peak of the fourth-stage. I'm afraid it wouldn't be up to the task."
"Corpse guards?"
"We have plenty in number, but their strength is low. Sending them would only make us a laughingstock."
Everyone spoke at once, offering various suggestions only for them to be shot down one by one. Ordinary items simply wouldn't do.
Amidst the gloom, an elder who was usually quiet and responsible for guarding the sect’s archives suddenly spoke up hesitantly.
"What do you all think of the Sect Master's Nine-Skull Throne?"
The hall fell silent instantly.
The elders looked at one another, their eyes wide with shock at first, but then slowly beginning to shine with light.
"The Nine-Skull Throne is a relic left behind by the founder, Ancestor Mo Tianji," another elder said with rising excitement. "It was forged using the skulls of nine experts, supplemented by nether cold iron, soul crystals, and other rare materials!"
"The throne can spontaneously gather yin qi, making the environment around it more suitable for the cultivation of ghosts and souls."
"Indeed, when the throne was completed, it carried a natural aura of majesty, providing an inherent deterrent to low-level ghosts."
"Brilliant!"
Rate on N.U.
