Getting More

Elfkind's formation used the entire Elf Tree as its formation core.

All the elves began to pray. Immediately afterward, a strange hexagram array flared to life across the ground, while the Elf Tree's crystalline leaves blossomed with an even more dazzling, brilliant radiance.

After their identities were exposed, Chu Zeming and Yue Lian removed the secret techniques concealing them and returned to their original appearances. Standing beneath the Divine Elf Tree, Chu Zeming felt as though his entire body was bathed in an atmosphere of peace and serenity.

Beside the two of them was Fu Hongchen, imprisoned within a tree cage.

Yue Lian did not want him and even told the elves to sink him in a pond and drown him, scaring Fu Hongchen badly. But Chu Zeming's conscience had not entirely rotted away, so he pinched his nose and accepted Fu Hongchen—though naturally, he had no intention of letting him out.

The three arrived at the tenth level of the Divine Wood Realm.

Chu Zeming stood at the entrance to the tenth level and looked ahead, unable to help feeling somewhat surprised.

This place was very different from what he had imagined. The earlier levels of the Divine Wood Realm had each existed like vast independent planes, but the tenth level was different—it was a Forbidden Pavilion.

It was not small, but it was lonely and empty. Compared to the previous levels, however, it was far too small.

Chu Zeming could not sense any danger. The surroundings were utterly silent.

Twelve ancient, enormous stone pillars supported the palace-like Forbidden Pavilion. There was no sunlight. Lamps that burned eternally hung upon the pavilion's four walls and ceiling, which were covered in strange paintings. Since the air did not circulate, even standing outside the door, one could smell the strong scent of burning candle flames.

These paintings seemed familiar to Chu Zeming. They resembled those on the strange great wall he had once seen in the Extreme Sea Secret Realm—the ceiling of the Forbidden Pavilion was filled with immortals of elegant bearing and divine poise. Some sat, some stood, yet all lowered their eyes as though looking upon the murals below. Auspicious clouds drifted around them, while strings and wind instruments played in harmony.

Following their gazes, Chu Zeming looked toward the Forbidden Pavilion's four walls—these depicted ordinary people and beasts... except this time, the humans and animals did not carry such immense resentment, though the overall tone remained dark and oppressive.

Looking at these paintings, Chu Zeming felt something strange in his heart.

Chu Zeming stared at the murals in silence.

Fu Hongchen in the cage could not help sneering. "What a country bumpkin, knowing nothing... These paintings depict the suffering of mortal flesh and blood, contrasted with ascension afterward. Their purpose is to encourage later generations to diligently seek the Dao, ascend as soon as possible, and escape the earthly inferno."

Chu Zeming withdrew his gaze and looked at Fu Hongchen in the cage in surprise. "You painted them?"

Fu Hongchen could not understand how Chu Zeming could ask such an idiotic question. He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. These paintings were left behind by great ancient powers."

Chu Zeming gave an oh and said meaningfully, "You understand what the paintings express so well that I thought you had painted them."

At that mocking, yin-yang tone, Fu Hongchen trembled with rage. "There are paintings like these in many ancient secret realms! Everyone in the cultivation world knows that!"

Chu Zeming cast Fu Hongchen a light glance and neither confirmed nor denied it.

Such a contemptuous attitude was something Fu Hongchen, who had always been regarded as heaven's favored son, could not accept.

Fu Hongchen desperately wanted to rush out and fight Chu Zeming. His face twisted ferociously for a long while before he finally suppressed the fury in his heart.

After all, Elfkind's prison was not something he could easily break. A strange restriction had been placed around the tree cage; even the Soul-Piercing Cone could not penetrate it. Besides, the woman-faced man allied with Chu Zeming was threatening him ominously from the side.

Yue Lian, dragging the cage, turned around and stared viciously at Fu Hongchen. "Pretty boy, if you keep yapping, I'll throw you onto the tenth level..."

Chu Zeming ignored the open and covert struggle between the other two behind him. After moving his attention away from the murals, his gaze began searching the Forbidden Pavilion for the Immortal Residence treasure that the Guiyuan Sect had placed on the tenth level of the Divine Wood Realm.

Yet the Forbidden Pavilion was empty on all four sides. Apart from the twelve large stone pillars carved with ancient cultivators and a stone stele at the very end, there was nothing at all.

Chu Zeming stood at the entrance, his expression turning grave.

Could it be that the people of the Guiyuan Sect believed no one could reach the tenth level, so they had not put the treasure here at all?

Impossible.

The number one sect in the cultivation world would never stoop to such tricks.

Perhaps there was some hidden mechanism within the Forbidden Pavilion, and the Immortal Residence treasure was concealed somewhere. With that thought, Chu Zeming no longer hesitated and stepped into the great hall of the Forbidden Pavilion.

The next second, an incomparably terrifying pressure descended from all directions within the hall. A distant voice seemed to ring beside his ears, dozens of low voices endlessly repeating two words—

"Leave."

"Leave."

"Leave!"

The ancient great powers carved upon the twelve stone pillars all came alive at that moment. Their towering, illusory forms emerged from the stone carvings and bent down to look at the tiny black-robed cultivator who had entered the Forbidden Pavilion, their gazes seeming to pierce across the distance of hundreds of millions of light-years—

The suffocatingly powerful pressure made every organ within Chu Zeming ache, and his legs began trembling without stop.

So the tenth level of the Divine Wood Realm was not without danger. These twelve stone pillars, which retained the lingering thoughts of ancient great powers, were the most terrifying existences here.

Yue Lian was still at the entrance, holding Fu Hongchen's cage. Seeing Chu Zeming suddenly drop to one knee with the Luminous Glaze Sword braced against the ground shortly after entering the Forbidden Pavilion, he could not help finding it strange.

"Senior Brother, what are you doing?" Yue Lian set down the cage and curiously walked to Chu Zeming's side. Before he could even finish a full sentence, a terrifying pressure fell from the heavens.

With a thud, Yue Lian dropped directly to his knees.

Looking up at the illusory figures around them, Yue Lian's face was full of bewilderment, but a thread of blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Even Chu Zeming at the Jindan Peak Stage could not withstand this pressure. For a weakling like Yue Lian, entering was simply courting death.

Seeing Yue Lian's consciousness gradually grow hazy, his clear eyes becoming darker and darker, and more blood seeping from his lips, Chu Zeming made a prompt decision. With one hand braced on his sword, he grabbed Yue Lian with the other and laboriously dragged him outside.

The moment he stepped out of the Forbidden Pavilion, Yue Lian closed his eyes and fainted.

Seeing the two return in such a sorry state, with that woman-faced man unable to endure it and even fainting, Fu Hongchen in the cage could not help folding his arms and gloating. "The secret treasure is not so easily obtained. Perhaps if you let me out, I can take you inside." Naturally, the secret treasure would then belong to him.

Chu Zeming ignored him. He sat down where he was and began regulating his breathing. Only after the chaotic spiritual energy in his body finally settled did he rise again with a determined gaze and charge back into the Forbidden Pavilion.

Watching the black-robed youth rush inside, Fu Hongchen snorted through his nose and muttered to himself, "Overestimating your own strength."

Before coming to participate in this Joint Grand Tournament, he had already received word from his master that the rewards this time would not be so easily obtained. All the secret treasures had been hidden within the Divine Wood Realm.

And on the tenth level of the Divine Wood Realm, only cultivators at the Nascent Soul Realm or above could withstand the pressure of the lingering thoughts upon the stone pillars.

In other words, from the very beginning, the highest reward—the Immortal Residence treasure—had been prepared for Nascent Soul Realm tournament disciples.

So what if Chu Zeming and that woman-faced man had taken a shortcut and arrived early?

What did not belong to him would never belong to him. In the end, everything would be futile.

Withdrawing his gaze, Fu Hongchen closed his eyes and continued trying to save himself.

He did not notice that, before he closed his eyes, Yue Lian, who had originally been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes. He slowly got up, half supporting himself as he looked toward the Forbidden Pavilion ahead. His eyes were pitch-black and unfathomably deep, while a black lotus so faint it was almost invisible emerged upon his forehead.

After Yue Lian frowned and observed the thing within the Forbidden Pavilion for a while, the furrow between his exquisite, beautiful brows slowly relaxed. Resting his jade-white hand beneath his chin, he thought for a moment before deciding not to go inside after all.

Casting a lazy glance at Fu Hongchen in the cage, who had his eyes shut and was whole-heartedly attacking the restriction, Yue Lian raised his hand and added another layer of restriction. Only then did he close his eyes again, lie down peacefully upon the ground with an excellent mood, and wear a tranquil expression.

Inside the tree cage, Fu Hongchen had nearly succeeded. Before he could even secretly rejoice, he suddenly slammed into another restriction. His entire being went numb.

Fu Hongchen abruptly opened his eyes and stared grimly at the tree cage.

Did the restriction become stronger the more he attacked it...?

Fu Hongchen shifted his butt, changed positions within the cramped tree cage, adjusted his state, and pressed his hands together.

—Keep charging, charging, charging.

Inside the Forbidden Pavilion.

Chu Zeming did not know that only those at the Nascent Soul Realm could endure this pressure. Holding the Luminous Glaze Sword, he walked forward step by step with unwavering resolve.

With every step he took, the pressure upon him doubled. After traveling only several dozen meters, Chu Zeming was already drenched in sweat. Every inch of skin on his body was being crushed, as though it would shatter the next moment.

Yet Chu Zeming continued inching forward slowly. He clenched his teeth, his gaze fixed firmly ahead, unwilling to give up.

Just as he passed the sixth stone pillar, the stone stele at the end of the Forbidden Pavilion suddenly shook. Immediately afterward, a square object about the size of a fist slowly appeared before it. It was entirely black and emanated an ancient, mysterious aura—this was the highest reward of the tournament, the Immortal Residence treasure of an ancient great power.

Chu Zeming was pressed flat against the ground. He laboriously raised his head, blood already flowing from his eyes and nose, yet his gaze remained fixed straight upon the Immortal Residence hovering before the stone stele.

Chu Zeming's limbs trembled as he forced himself to crawl forward. With every step, more blood flowed from his eyes... His will was still holding on, but his body had begun to protest. He was clearly nearing his limit.

Chu Zeming was in agony, but he did not want to give up.

His jade talisman was still with him.

He only needed to obtain the Immortal Residence... then crush the jade pendant and leave the Divine Tree directly.

He was just a little bit away. He could not give up.

Amid the twelve enormous stone pillars, the tiny black-robed youth crawled slowly forward. Blood flowed from all seven of his orifices, his face long since blurred crimson. Bright red blood dripped to the ground, trailing a mottled streak of blood behind him...

At some point, all the ancient, solemn voices saying "leave" within the Forbidden Pavilion vanished.

The lingering thoughts of the great powers upon the stone pillars watched the blood-soaked youth who refused to give up and fell into a long silence.

Low-level cultivators had also come to train on the tenth level before, but every one of them had been accompanied by stronger cultivators.

Yet this little Jindan Stage cultivator had entered alone...

"Is his Dao heart firm? Can he receive our inheritance?" A gentle female voice sounded.

The other remnants did not speak.

They were all considering that question...

The twelve lingering thoughts silently watched this youth, as weak as an ant. In the end, they slowly withdrew their pressure.

Chu Zeming was in the depths of extreme pain and could not sense the changes around him. Only when a long sigh sounded beside his ear was his consciousness pulled back somewhat.

"Are you unwilling to leave?" A complicated voice sounded.

Chu Zeming raised his head. Through the hazy veil of blood, he saw that a figure had suddenly appeared before him—one of the lingering thoughts from the stone pillars stood in front of him.

Only then did Chu Zeming realize that the pressure upon his body had already disappeared.

He raised his head, barely opened his eyes, and said with difficulty, "Thank you, Senior... I'll leave... once I obtain the Immortal Residence."

The figure swayed faintly. Standing with his hands behind his back, he silently looked at Chu Zeming and asked, "What were you thinking as you crawled just now?"

Chu Zeming smiled at the illusory elderly figure and said slowly yet firmly, "I was only thinking that it had to be mine."

The elderly figure did not speak.

But Chu Zeming felt that he seemed to be smiling at him.

Then Chu Zeming heard him say, "Perhaps you can obtain even more."

The next second, the other eleven lingering thoughts from the stone pillars appeared before Chu Zeming at the same time.

Some were men, some women; some old, some young.

Yet every one of them had once been a peerless powerhouse.