Spirit Tree Bound Spirit

Chapter 5: Spirit Tree Bound Spirit

The Spirit Tree, located in the Taoist Temple, had received the incense and fire of the mortal world, and its Wood Heart was formed through secret arts.

It now possessed considerable sentience.

When Song Yu and Wang Xiu began refining it, it immediately resisted, moving without wind.

The red ropes and wooden tags on the tree swayed, making a rattling sound.

Mixed within this sound were wisps of incense and fire energy, which quietly seeped into Song Yu and Wang Xiu's bodies.

However, the two were completely unaware, believing their cultivation was advancing as they refined the Spirit Tree's Spiritual Energy.

If they continued refining like this, Song Yu and Wang Xiu would eventually be turned into Bound Spirits by the Spirit Tree, forever bound to its side, losing their consciousness and being driven like puppets.

When their physical bodies eventually aged, their souls would also become nourishment.

At that point, the Spirit Tree, having absorbed the miscellaneous thoughts of human souls, would transform its sentience into thoughts, fully developing intelligence and becoming a Yao.

"Alas, the Spirit Tree has a spirit and doesn't wish to be refined. These two are also just trying to survive. Neither of you is wrong; the fault lies with Ling Yangzi!"

A faint voice echoed.

Following this, a cultivator holding a greyish-green pot with illusory wings on his back materialized in the Taoist Temple.

This person was Chen Ming, who had found this place by following Ling Yangzi's soul memory.

Although the Spirit Tree had sentience and some protective abilities from the incense and fire, its actions were purely instinctive.

Acting in secret against unsuspecting cultivators in the Qi Gathering Realm might have given it a chance.

But against a cultivator in the Contemplation Realm, the Spirit Tree instinctively felt fear.

Sensing Chen Ming's aura, it knew it couldn't afford to provoke him.

However, Song Yu and Wang Xiu had already fallen victim to its methods, and since they had initiated the refinement, they were unwilling to stop!

The Spirit Tree shook even more violently, emitting a large amount of incense and fire energy, now mixed with poisonous gas.

This drastic change instantly startled Song Yu and Wang Xiu, who had fallen into a daze.

They broke out in a cold sweat, finally understanding their predicament.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Their bodies were already entangled and bound by the Spirit Tree's spreading roots, making escape impossible.

Furthermore, their Magical Power had been eroded by the incense and fire energy dispersed by the Spirit Tree, rendering them unable to circulate it.

"Senior, save us!"

"We only thought of refining the Spirit Tree because we wanted to survive!"

Song Yu and Wang Xiu were not foolish. Hearing Chen Ming mention Ling Yangzi's name and his unfriendly tone, they realized Chen Ming's strength was likely comparable to Ling Yangzi's, and their chance of survival was before them.

"Senior, although we are disciples of Ling Yangzi, we are actually controlled by his Poison Curse and are not free!"

"We beg you to save our lives, and we will surely serve you like oxen and horses in the future, at your command, to repay this kindness!"

The two shouted loudly, hoping Chen Ming would intervene and save them.

Chen Ming pondered for a moment, a blue light flickering in his eyes as he sensed their auras.

When the blue light in his eyes subsided, he had a good understanding of Song Yu and Wang Xiu's backgrounds.

Ling Yangzi was naturally cautious and narrow-minded. The cultivation methods he passed down to them were incomplete, barely allowing them to enter the Qi Gathering Realm.

There was no mention of any secret arts or spiritual powers.

"You two are quite honest. You practice Ling Yangzi's poison path, and your Spiritual Energy isn't too muddled. The mortals who come to worship the tree in the city haven't caused any unsavory incidents, and your intentions aren't bad."

Hearing Chen Ming's words, Song Yu and Wang Xiu rejoiced and quickly bowed.

"Senior, you see clearly. We were originally honest and hardworking people from the city below the mountain. Ling Yangzi brought us up the mountain, and we thought we had found immortal destiny. We never imagined that after cultivating, we would end up like this."

"For years, we have only been controlled, guarding the Spirit Tree here and doing hard labor. We have never done anything wicked!"

Song Yu and Wang Xiu spoke with genuine emotion, not faking it.

Chen Ming could discern their sincerity and wasn't worried about them causing any trouble.

The Poison Curse on them wasn't some profound sorcery; it was merely "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas" mixed with Magical Power.

Chen Ming circulated his Magical Power, and a wisp of Azure Wood Life and Death Gas materialized at his fingertips. It flew out and swept over Song Yu and Wang Xiu, dispelling the Poison Curse.

Even the Spirit Tree's restraints on them and the incense and fire energy within their bodies dissipated.

With their lives saved, Song Yu and Wang Xiu bowed to Chen Ming.

The Spirit Tree's sentience, however, sensed the danger and trembled violently, constantly retracting its Spiritual Energy to conceal its mystical nature.

Seeing this, Chen Ming couldn't help but smile, "Although Ling Yangzi refined you, you have now developed sentience. If you can be of use to me, I naturally won't destroy you!"

Upon hearing Chen Ming's words, the Spirit Tree became obedient. Its branches stretched out, emitting waves of green light that revealed its Wood Heart.

Its core was the Wood Heart, formed through secret arts, and all its sentience and incense and fire were nurtured within it.

Once the Wood Heart was damaged, it would be a catastrophe for the tree.

But at this moment, its spiritual instincts prompted it to pledge allegiance to Chen Ming.

"You're quite sensible!"

Chen Ming smiled faintly and enveloped the Wood Heart with his divine sense to examine it.

It turned out that both the Wood Heart and the Spirit Tree were attempts by Ling Yangzi to break through his cultivation realm and achieve the Spirit Condensation Realm.

Ling Yangzi had used a secret technique to mix "Azure Wood Poisonous Gas" and refine it into the Wood Heart, which then transformed into this Spirit Tree. He made it accept mortal Incense and Fire to generate spiritual sentience.

Once the Spirit Tree's sentience and the Incense and Fire reached a certain level, it would transform into a deity.

At that time, Ling Yangzi would suppress and refine that deity, merging it with his Divine Soul to achieve the Spirit Condensation Realm.

"So this is the method to achieve the Spirit Condensation Realm?"

Chen Ming withdrew his divine sense, but he vaguely felt that Ling Yangzi's method for breaking through to the Spirit Condensation Realm seemed to have gone somewhat astray.

However, with no other methods to compare, Chen Ming decided to put the matter aside for now.

"I've only just entered the Contemplation Realm, so I can slowly prepare to break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm. I should learn about more methods for breaking through to the Spirit Condensation Realm before making a decision!"

"Moreover, I still have the Creation Lotus Platform. I can cultivate several different types of void energy. Once the incantations on the Creation Lotus Platform mature, perhaps I can even develop a better method!"

Chen Ming withdrew his divine sense and simultaneously erased the imprint Ling Yangzi had left within the Wood Heart.

Furthermore, he transformed the control imprint within the Wood Heart into his own Azure Wood Life and Death Gas.

"Meeting me is your good fortune. If it were someone else, you would likely have been unable to escape being refined!"

Seeing that Chen Ming had indeed spared it, merely changing the means of control without harming its sentience, the Spirit Tree hurriedly retracted its Wood Heart. It swayed and showed more affection towards Chen Ming.

Having controlled the Spirit Tree and learned a method to break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm, Chen Ming was in high spirits and began to survey the Taoist Temple.

This Taoist Temple was located at the summit of Cuiping Mountain, precisely at the convergence of Cuiping Mountain's Spiritual Energy.

For mortals to ascend from the foot of the mountain, they had to traverse a Mountain Climbing Stone Staircase of nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps to reach it.

Only those who sincerely worshipped would expend the effort to come here.

While the Spiritual Energy here couldn't compare to blessed lands or grotto-heavens, it wasn't bad either and was sufficient for cultivation.

The Spirit Tree was already under my control and couldn't be moved for the time being. It would be good to settle here for now, Chen Ming mused.