The heartwood is clearly exceptionally precious; such a treasure should naturally be obtained at all costs.
Zhou Wuji personally entered the Cangwu Tree Palace and found that there were many demons there. Without the protection of the True Person Zhihua, it would be difficult for him to stay there for a long time.
One more thing, the heartwood is hidden too deeply.
Unless he reaches the Third Rank, who knows when that will be.
The Cangwu Ancient Tree was not an inanimate object; relying on the divine mark he had made earlier, he could now easily find its heart.
In a few more years, who knows what the situation will be like.
Another point is that once he advances to the Third Rank, the tree heart will become less important.
Taking this opportunity to obtain the Tree Heart will also allow me to befriend True Person Zhihua.
It has always been True Person Zhihua who has taken care of him. This is certainly out of appreciation and to cultivate talents for the sect, but it is also more of a personal friendship.
Zhou Wuji felt he should also repay True Person Zhihua and deepen their friendship.
He had no foundation in the sect. Zhiyuan was alright, he had been squeezed out of the power center and had no ability to help him.
To stand out in a stable organizational system, personal ability is one aspect, but connections are also extremely important.
True Person Zhihua is his only connection; he must seize this opportunity.
Another thing he sensed was that True Person Zhihua was observing him, and probably had some suspicions about him.
The Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment didn't fall from the sky; it's a supreme Divine Artifact of the Northern Pole Sect.
Within the Northern Pole Sect, there must be some records about the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment.
His sudden appearance at Hidden Dragon Temple may have aroused suspicion among many people.
That day, when the topic of Heavenly Mystery Divine Lord was brought up, True Person Zhihua rarely changed his expression, clearly showing his intense hatred for Heavenly Mystery Divine Lord, also known as Fu Tianji.
Zhou Wuji pondered for a long time after returning home. He concluded that Fu Tianji must have committed extremely evil deeds against the sect to make True Person Zhihua hate him so much.
What exactly was the evil deed? Is it possible that the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment was lost because of the Fu Tianji?
He wasn't just guessing; where did his master, Daoist Yiyuan, get the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment?
My master's footprints were only in Yunyang and Siming County; he never left Yunyang.
The Qi Eye beneath the Hidden Dragon Temple is so mysterious. Moreover, Master clearly cares deeply about the Hidden Dragon Temple.
It is very likely that his master obtained the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment through the Qi Eye.
The cave abode of Qi Eye and Fu Tianji are not far apart, and there may be some connection between the two.
If the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment was lost due to the loss of the Fu Tianji, then everything makes sense.
Therefore, True Person Zhihua was particularly concerned about the Fu Tianji cave abode! Therefore, True Person Zhihua suspected that he had obtained the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment.
That time, Xie Lingyun suddenly invited him to drink, and this time he's been inviting him to banquets every day, even hiring dancers to accompany him. These are all taboos of the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment.
Of course, Xie Lingyun couldn't possibly know these things; it was probably all arranged by True Person Zhihua.
When he left Yunze City, True Person Zhihua arrived. To say it was a coincidence would be unbelievable...
This is normal; whoever discovers traces of the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment will definitely try every means to verify it.
These verifications should have ruled him out as a suspect. But he still wanted to test True Person Zhihua to see how much he actually knew.
Zhou Wuji didn't think he was overthinking things; all of this was definitely not a coincidence.
For him, the Heavenly Puppet was not important; the only trouble was that it would be related to the junior officer Jin Chuan.
But he had a clear conscience; Wu Di deserved to die.
If he wasn't mistaken, True Person Zhihua knew that it was he who killed Wu Di.
What I said last time was actually quite clear: all the other geniuses are naive, only he can get things done!
"Murder and arson are nothing," this statement is a direct attack on him...
Being honest at this time will actually earn you the trust of True Person Zhihua.
Zhou Wuji said solemnly to True Person Zhihua, "I have a little thing that can control the earth dragon, making it dig deep underground and take out the tree heart."
As he spoke, he reached out and revealed the cyan palm covered by the Heavenly Puppet.
True Person Zhihua glanced at it and laughed, " Heavenly Puppet? A good thing."
She said, "Back then, when Fu Tianji destroyed the Heavenly Puppet Sect, the Heavenly Puppet Sect's most precious treasure Heavenly Puppet, also disappeared."
"You act with righteous intentions yet are unconventional; this treasure is in your hands, and you can make the most of it."
Zhou Wuji felt a little ashamed after being praised so much; he even started to doubt whether he was really that good.
True Person Zhihua calmly said, "Although the Heavenly Puppet is strange and unpredictable, many people still know about it. Your identity is different now, so you should be more careful in your actions."
Zhou Wuji understood the unspoken meaning in True Person Zhihua's words. This person was truly tactful, unwilling to speak directly even in such a secret realm.
He could only repeatedly agree.
Seeing that Zhou Wuji's expression was not good, True Person Zhihua comforted him, saying, "I value your cunning and resourcefulness; to accomplish great things, one must not be bothered by trifles."
"Leaving aside distant examples, let's just talk about the founding emperor. If he had followed the rules and regulations, he would have been nothing more than a farmer. How could he have founded a country and become an emperor?"
Those who aspire to great things should be free from constraints, like water, adapting to changing times and circumstances, and not bound by rigid rules...
Zhou Wuji bowed deeply. "This disciple has learned much."
True Person Zhihua: "I have a strong personality; I can only rise to power, not fall to it, and I can only be strong, not weak. I'm not suited for great things. I only hope that you can shoulder heavy responsibilities and bring glory to the sect."
" Your True Person's kindness is too great; I am but a disciple of limited talent and virtue, and can only do my best."
Seeing Zhou Wuji's sincerity, True Person Zhihua said softly, "Some people in the sect suspect that you obtained the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment and have considerable doubts about you."
"This is pure speculation. I will explain the situation to you when I return to the hospital."
Zhou Wuji's heart skipped a beat. Just as he had guessed, others had become suspicious of him!
Fortunately, he was cautious enough not to reveal any flaws.
A look of astonishment crossed his face. " The Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment? True Person, what do you mean by this?"
Three hundred years ago, Fu Tianji killed an elder of the sect, and the sect leader True Lord Mingjing, pursued him with the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment.
"With the disappearance of True Lord Mingjing, the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment was also lost. The Fu Tianji have vanished without a trace."
True Person Zhihua's expression turned quite solemn as he recounted that period of history.
The loss of the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment directly led to the division of the seven lineages of the sect in the struggle for the leadership, almost causing them to fall apart.
The seeds of the conflict between the Seven Families were sown at this time.
The discovery of the Fu Tianji cave abode even alarmed the sect leader.
Although they were unable to penetrate deep into the cave abode, they were fairly certain that the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment was not cave abode.
Some of the sect's higher-ups found Zhou Wuji suspicious and suggested arresting Zhou Wuji for interrogation.
She strongly opposed it, and so did the sect leader.
Even if the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment is truly in Zhou Wuji's hands, as a cultivator of his sect, that would be his fortuitous opportunity.
If they misjudged the situation, it would be unreasonable and illogical for them to treat their own school's genius in this way.
Ultimately, the group decided to use some methods to verify the information, at least to find out the truth.
The Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment contains the strictest precepts. Among them are minor precepts that strictly prohibit drinking alcohol and soliciting prostitutes, which are the most difficult to obey.
If Zhou Wuji possessed the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment, he would never dare to disobey the precepts. In particular, repeatedly violating the precepts would have consequences that Zhou Wuji could not bear.
The test results showed that everyone was overthinking things.
She had just witnessed Zhou Wuji magical Law Power transformations, which indeed had nothing to do with the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment.
It can only be said that Zhou Wuji did receive the Northern Emperor's Blessing, or that he was born in harmony with the Northern Emperor's divine power. Through the ordination and transmission, he established a mysterious connection with the Northern Emperor and awakened special innate supernatural Divine Ability.
There was no need to explain all of this in too much detail to Zhou Wuji, lest he overthink it.
True Person Zhihua flicked his sleeve. "Let's not worry about those things for now. Let's focus on getting the tree heart first."
Zhou Wuji responded in a deep voice, "Yes."
Catching a ground dragon isn't difficult; these creatures are almost everywhere, plump, slow-moving, and offer virtually no resistance.
True Person Zhihua used his Sword Qi to pull a dragon out of the ground. It was seven or eight zhang long, with a plump, round, segmented body covered in mucus.
Zhou Wuji suppressed his nausea and used the Heavenly Puppet Spirit Pulling Technique to place a restriction on the earth dragon.
The earth dragon is Fifth Rank demon, but its brain is only the size of a fist, and its intelligence is extremely low. It was easily subdued by the Heavenly Puppet Spirit Pulling Technique.
The brilliance of the Spirit Pulling Technique lies in subduing the mind and consciousness of demons. Zhou Wuji only needs to give the earth dragon a command, and then he doesn't need to worry about anything else.
The earth dragon doesn't dig very fast; in a day, it can only go a little over three miles underground.
This distance was beyond Zhou Wuji's control over his Divine Sense; he could only roughly sense the location of the earth dragon.
As for the tunnel dug by the earth dragon, it would keep collapsing, and he couldn't possibly go in with it. He could only hope that the giant insect could go deep underground and get the tree heart.
What followed was a boring wait. With nothing else to do, Zhou Wuji went around killing some demons and ghosts.
The vast Cangwu Tree Palace is filled with a heavy Yin Qi. When a demon dies, its spirit lingers and it transforms into a ghost or evil spirit.
When Zhou Wuji Six Yang Dharma Eye, he saw that everywhere was filled with the light of life and a strong Spiritual Qi.
The vast majority of ghosts and demons are of very low rank. A single Golden Light Incantation can obliterate a ghost, and a demon will faint on the spot.
After a few days, True Person Zhihua, seeing Zhou Wuji wandering around aimlessly, called him Zhou Wuji and said, "Whether or not we get the tree heart this time, I'll still appreciate your help."
"I will pass on another Tianxuan Sword to you."
"Ah, this..."
Zhou Wuji was a little surprised. He had wanted to decline, but fearing he might make things worse, he changed his words to, "Thank you, True Person! I am True Person humbled by your trust."
He then said, "If I achieve anything, I will certainly live up to True Person high expectations."
Zhou Wuji bowed deeply as he spoke, his attitude exceptionally sincere.
True Person Zhihua nodded. "The older generation of the sect are all stubborn and clinging to outdated ideas. We can only hope that you will revitalize the sect."
She genuinely felt that Zhou Wuji was different; he possessed the magnanimity to achieve great things. That's why she made an exception and repeatedly taught Zhou Wuji Secret Method.
Officially, it's about cultivating geniuses for the sect; privately, it's also about hoping to gain some assistance.
Clearly, Zhou Wuji understood her thoughts and meant what she meant, which was very important.
The two were completely open with each other, and Zhou Wuji revealed his secret treasure, the Heavenly Puppet, which made her trust Zhou Wuji even more.
Although this young man is cunning, he is still willing to trust her, and such trust is extremely rare.
" The Tianxuan Sword, also known as the Jumen, is characterized by its circular and spiraling Swordsmanship. It excels in defense, and its ability to conceal the changes in Sword Qi and Divine Sense allows it to hide its aura and prevent outsiders from detecting it..."
True Person Zhihua patiently explained the variations of the Swordsmanship to Zhou Wuji, and only when it involved the specific mental techniques and the operation of Divine Sense did he directly impart the knowledge through Divine Sense.
Zhou Wuji already had a solid foundation in Swordsmanship, having mastered the Tianji Sword and the Army-Breaking Sword. Learning the Tianxuan Sword, which shared the same origin, would not be difficult for him.
In order to demonstrate his genius, Zhou Wuji used three ounces of Origin Profound Spirit that very day to push the Tianxuan Sword to the Lesser Completion stage.
Overnight, Zhou Wuji achieved significant progress with the Tianxuan Sword.
True Person Zhihua became even more convinced that Zhou Wuji was indeed exceptionally gifted and extraordinary.
The Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment requires a ritual sacrifice to the Northern Emperor; no one can exceed the prescribed procedures.
If the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment were so easy to wield, the Northern Pole Sect would have been invincible long ago, and wouldn't be in such a sorry state...
(Last day of July, please vote for me! Thank you so much!)