Before Fang Yi, the crimson earth had been torn apart, and a section of black tree trunk had burst out of the ground.
Branches crisscrossed the black tree, and ancient runes that seemed to have formed naturally could be seen upon it.
A faint, extraordinary fluctuation quietly spread from it.
Two crimson fruits, burning as though wreathed in flames, hung from the black tree.
"Two?"
Fang Yi took a couple of looks, and two figures appeared behind him.
"Young sect master!"
"Mm. Go back and tell senior sister Yuan that the Demon Seal Faction has been dealt with. Also, tell the people of Blood Rock Land that when they think of offending Dao Sect, they should weigh whether they have the strength of the Demon Seal Faction!"
"Also, spread the word that someone suspected to be a Life Profound Realm expert from Yuan Sect tried to hunt me down."
"Contact the other super sects in Blood Rock Land. Yuan Sect dared to hunt me down like this!"
"The next time their sects produce a prodigy, Yuan Sect will hunt them down! If they don't want their own prodigies dying on the road for no apparent reason, tell them to think carefully."
Fang Yi gave his instructions one after another.
"Yes!"
The two disciples in Dao Sect uniforms turned into two streaks of rainbow light and sped into the distance. Fang Yi looked at the two fruits on the Immortal Origin Ancient Tree.
Five fruits were needed for it to reach complete maturity, but he could wait no longer. He couldn't spend several more years waiting for the Immortal Origin Ancient Tree to mature.
Using the Azure Emperor Wood Sovereign Art, he could sense another surge of vigorous life within it. It simply hadn't matured yet.
That should be the Immortal Origin Ancient Seed.
Of course.
Because it was a "premature baby," the seed's vitality was still very weak.
But as long as it existed, it could be nourished back to health with Dao Sect's Pill River. Besides, Yuan Sect had already discovered this place.
The Demon Seal Faction's destruction wouldn't stop Yuan Sect from acting.
Although they wouldn't make a move openly, they would certainly investigate this place more and more in secret.
If they discovered an Immortal Origin Ancient Tree that had produced a seed here, they would surely make a move. Even the Heaven, Earth and Human Three Yuan Masters might take action.
After all, this was something that could serve as a foundation for a sect. With it, the road ahead would be smooth for high-level Nirvana disciples!
Low-level Nirvana disciples could use the Pill River, mid-level Nirvana disciples could use Nirvana Golden Qi, and high-level Nirvana disciples could use Immortal Origin Spirit Fruits. It was a perfect sequence for their growth.
That Immortal Origin Ancient Tree of Yuan Sect's, which had been able to bear thousands of Immortal Origin Spirit Fruits in one harvest, was why Yuan Sect had such a strong foundation and more disciples than any other sect in the Eastern Xuan Region.
Whether for their own sake or to prevent Dao Sect from obtaining this Immortal Origin Ancient Tree, they would certainly make a move.
That was also why Fang Yi had to take it back.
Time was short.
"Azure Emperor Wood Sovereign Art!"
With a thought from Fang Yi, the overbearing power of the sovereign of wood belonging to the Azure Emperor Wood Sovereign Art erupted.
The power of the Immortal Origin Ancient Tree before him surged out, and streams of blue-white power were drawn into Fang Yi's body like giant pythons.
At the same time, the two Immortal Origin Spirit Fruits hanging from the tree began to shrivel. The power within them likewise turned into two streams of blue light and poured into Fang Yi's body.
Fang Yi sat cross-legged in the air as billowing Wood Qi rushed into his body.
News of what had happened in Demon Seal City spread throughout Blood Rock Land at astonishing speed. Blood Rock Land lay at the junction of many super sects.
Since the news had spread through Blood Rock Land, the various super sects naturally received word of it as well.
The various super sects weren't actually surprised that Fang Yi had dealt with the Demon Seal Faction. Perhaps only the people of Yuan Sect thought it was nothing special.
But the other super sects all knew Ying Xuanzi's character. If Fang Yi hadn't had some ability,
he could never have been made the Dao Child. It was just that he was stronger than they had thought.
What caught them by surprise was Fang Yi's ability to kill someone in the Life Profound Realm. Once that news spread, it immediately stirred up a storm across the Eastern Xuan Region.
For a time, Fang Yi's fame soared.
Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace.
Inside Taiqing Hall.
Yi Taiqing, the Palace Master of Taiqing Palace, looked at Ling Qingzhu and said mildly, "Was he the one who went to the Great Yan Dynasty with you some time ago?"
Ling Qingzhu nodded. Her stunningly beautiful face beneath her veil had also filled with surprise when she learned that Fang Yi could actually kill someone in the Life Profound Realm.
She had thought that Fang Yi was already a heaven-sent genius with extraordinary talent for being able to fight someone at Eight Yuan Nirvana while at Three Yuan Nirvana.
But she hadn't expected him to be able to kill someone in the Life Profound Realm while still in the Nirvana Realm.
Even someone at the Initial Life Profound Stage was beyond the reach of an ordinary Nirvana Realm cultivator. More importantly, this Life Profound Realm expert had quite a background.
"What do you make of the news spreading through Blood Rock Land?" Yi Taiqing asked, looking at Ling Qingzhu.
"Fang Yi accused that Life Profound Realm expert of being from Yuan Sect. The eyewitnesses actually all saw the man use Yuan Sect's martial arts."
When Yi Taiqing received the report, she hadn't expected Yuan Sect to be so shameless. Just to be safe,
they had even sent a Life Profound Realm expert to ambush and kill a junior.
It was one thing to ambush him, but the junior had killed the ambusher instead.
It had been a long time since anything like that had happened.
"Nothing happened between you and him, did it?"
Seeing Ling Qingzhu looking somewhat absentminded, Yi Taiqing couldn't help asking.
Fang Yi was indeed impressive, but Ling Qingzhu was the hope of their Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace.
She was also the one most likely to fully master the Supreme Induction Art.
She couldn't be allowed to fall for him.
But Ling Qingzhu plainly looked like a girl experiencing her first stirrings of love.
If she couldn't still sense the air of a virgin about Ling Qingzhu, she would probably have fought her way to Yuan Sect and demanded an explanation from that old turtle Ying.
But even if Ling Qingzhu hadn't lost her innocence, this state would still affect her cultivation. The Supreme Induction Art required purity of body and mind, and the supreme indifference to emotion.
"Huh?"
Ling Qingzhu came back to her senses.
When she thought of Fang Yi, her waist inexplicably felt warm, as though someone were stroking it.
The sensation had left her somewhat distracted, so she hadn't heard what her master said.
"I... never mind."
Yi Taiqing sighed. After all, this was the disciple she had watched grow up since childhood, and she couldn't bear to scold her.
After all, she was only a young girl experiencing her first stirrings of love. But seeing her own little cabbage rooted by a pig left Yi Taiqing rather gloomy. She then said, "I told you to focus on cultivation. Even if you have some connection with him,
if your cultivation can't keep up, he'll only leave you behind."
"What connection? Master, what are you talking about? Qingzhu doesn't understand..." A blush flashed across Ling Qingzhu's cheeks.
That strange sensation on her back had to be caused by the mark that fellow had left. The next time she went over, she would make him remove it.
"If you don't understand, then never mind. Go cultivate." Yi Taiqing shook her head. This girl had probably fallen deeply in love without even realizing it.
"Then is our Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace not going to speak up about this?"
Ling Qingzhu couldn't help asking.
Although that fellow Fang Yi was infuriating, he wasn't wrong.
She could also see why Fang Yi had done it. Seeing that her master seemed not to have mentioned the matter, she hurriedly reminded her.
Yi Taiqing pursed her lips and lowered her gaze. "Haven't you already made up your mind? Just go ahead and do it. Don't worry, Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace will always stand behind you."
She had naturally also seen why Fang Yi wanted to spread the news to the various super sects.
It was an open scheme.
The Eastern Xuan Region was already in a very sensitive state. If Yuan Sect's act of the strong bullying the weak were brought into the open, no super sect could possibly accept it.
Even Zhou Tong's actions back then had been undertaken with just cause.
Otherwise, which sect didn't have a Samsara Stage expert? They could simply hunt down one another's prodigies, and nobody would get to play anymore.
She simply disliked seeing her disciple's thoughts fixed entirely on Fang Yi.
"All right!"
Ling Qingzhu hurried to her feet and strode out of Taiqing Hall. The bounce in her step made her mood plain.