Zhou Yang did not care what deal Feng Wuji and True Person Kumoku had made. As long as True Person Kumoku did not renege on what he had promised him, that was enough.
After several decades of cultivation, Xiao Ying had now mastered the divine ability Withering Life Qi and was preparing for her first attempt at synchronizing with the Heaven-Connecting Qiankun Wood.
"This attempt is merely to let Fellow Daoist Xiao adapt to merging with the Heaven-Connecting Qiankun Wood. With this old man watching over her, nothing should go wrong."
Beneath the towering giant tree that stood over three thousand zhang high, True Person Kumoku, as the host, led Zhou Yang and the others to stand amid its roots and calmly explained the situation to Zhou Yang and his son.
Then, at his signal, the prepared Xiao Ying gave Zhou Yang and Zhou Guangcheng a slight nod before walking to the trunk and activating the divine ability Withering Life Qi.
As the divine ability was activated, the life force within Xiao Ying rapidly withdrew under Zhou Yang's senses. Her originally radiant skin swiftly lost its luster and vitality. Before long, her smooth, water-like skin had become like dead bark, dry and wrinkled, and her entire body seemed to have turned into a desiccated corpse.
Then, as if the towering tree had sensed something, a great hole suddenly split open in its trunk. A powerful suction force instantly drew Xiao Ying inside, and the opening swiftly closed again.
Seeing this, Zhou Yang and Zhou Guangcheng both felt their hearts tighten. Unable to hide their worry, they immediately looked toward True Person Kumoku.
Zhou Yang frowned and promptly asked, "Fellow Immortal Kumoku, has this Heaven-Connecting Qiankun Wood already developed its own consciousness?"
True Person Kumoku nodded slightly at those words. "Fellow