Ancient Tree of Life Seed

Tang San was surrounded by three people in gray cloaks.

The burn mark on the back of his hand cracked for the fourth time, and beads of blood seeped out, but he didn't have time to wipe it away.

The Sea God's Light and the Asura Power mingled together and were smeared onto the face of the nearest man in the gray cloak.

The opponent used a soul-guided shield to withstand the attack. Three layers of the shield shattered, and the person retreated seven steps but did not fall.

The gray-cloaked figure on the right seized the opportunity to throw out a chain, the end of which was attached to a fragment of Soul-Sealing Stone, specifically designed to suppress the flow of Soul Power.

Tang San's left arm was entangled, and his Soul Power stagnated for half a breath. He took a third blow to the chest from the gray cloak, and his whole body slid backward for more than ten feet, the soles of his boots plowing two furrows in the bluestone road.

Ning Rongrong, clutching the parchment, tried to rush over, but Tang San froze her in place with a single glance.

"Don't come any closer! Look at the picture carefully!"

She bit her lip and didn't move, her fingers clenching the edges of the parchment so tightly they wrinkled.

Tang San shook off the chains on his left arm. A fragment of the Soul-Sealing Stone cut a bloody gash, but he ignored it and charged forward again with his right fist clenched.

Three Soul Douluo wouldn't even qualify as a warm-up in his prime. Now that his godhood is shattered and his Soul Power is leaking like a sieve, the force he unleashes isn't much stronger than that of Titled Douluo.

He was pondering whether to risk completely shattering his divine essence and unleash the Asura Divine Power once more when a golden light crashed down from the horizon.

The Nan Feng fell between the three gray cloaks. The phantom of the tower appeared and disappeared behind them in an instant, and the suppressive power of the Mountain Suppression Art emanated from beneath their feet.

The three Soul Douluo were as if they had been doused with molten iron; their knees buckled and they knelt down simultaneously.

Tang San stopped punching and leaned against a stone lion on the side of the street, catching his breath.

"You fucking finally arrived."

"The sealed room was quite secure; it took me fifteen minutes to pry it open." Nan Feng patted the fragments of the seal off his sleeve, glanced back at Tang San, and said, "Your hand is cracked again."

"I won't die." Tang San shook his right hand. Black scabs had formed around the edges of the burns, but the cracks were half an inch wider than before. "Where's Ning Yuan?"

Nan Feng gestured towards the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"He escaped through the secret passage. He took three scrolls of documents and two elders with him. He was in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to grab his own teacup."

Tang San clicked his tongue.

"The old man really did have a backup plan."

Nan Feng didn't respond to that, but looked down at the three gray-cloaked figures kneeling on the ground. With Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light, the Soul Bone configurations and Soul Power sources of the three individuals were laid out in his mind.

The Soul Bone is a treasure from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's inner treasury. Its Soul Power is mixed with the unique aura of Elder Ning Yuan's Soul-Sealing Stone.

"Go back and tell Ning Yuan."

Nan Feng crouched down, looking directly at the gray-cloaked leader.

"He can run away, but he can't hide. Hand over the other half of the Abyssal Rift map within three days, and I'll only cripple his Martial Soul. If he doesn't hand it over after three days—"

He paused. His voice didn't rise, and the three gray-cloaked figures simultaneously shivered.

"I even overturned the two secret passages he hid in."

The three gray-cloaked figures tumbled and crawled away.

Ning Rongrong rushed over from the street corner, clutching the parchment to her chest, her eyes red-rimmed, but she stubbornly refused to shed a tear.

"Nan Feng, what about my father...?"

"Your father is alright." Nan Feng patted her shoulder. "When Ning Yuan ran away, he didn't touch Ning Fengzhi; he didn't dare. Your father is still the one in charge of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The two elders Ning Yuan took away were longtime allies of him in the Council of Elders; your father knows that."

Ning Rongrong handed over the parchment. Half a roll of the crack map was unrolled from her bosom, with seventeen crack locations marked in vermilion, five of which were already ticked off.

"These are the ones I marked; there are twelve more I haven't had time to visit yet."

Nan Feng took it and glanced at it. Of the twelve unmarked fissures, three were in the Far North, two were deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, and the remaining seven were scattered among various city-states.

He thought for a moment and then put the diagram into the Tower Spirit Space.

"I'll let Shifang handle the rest. You go back to the sect and help your father clean up the mess. With Ning Yuan gone, the Council of Elders have to be reshuffled."

Ning Rongrong nodded, took two steps, and then turned back.

"You just said you had to submit the drawings within three days. What if Ning Yuan doesn't submit them?"

"Then let him regret not bringing his teacup with him when he ran away."

Nan Feng turned and walked towards the city gate. Tang San straightened up from beside the stone lion and followed.

The two of them walked out of the city gate one after the other before Tang San spoke.

"Are you really going to uncover the secret passage?"

"Just scaring him." Nan Feng didn't even turn his head. "That old Ning Yuan is most afraid of his life. A little scare will force the map out. I'd rather not fight than waste my Immortal Power."

Tang San chuckled. Halfway through his laugh, he pulled at the wound on the back of his hand, causing him to wince.

Where are you going next?

"The Lake of Life." Nan Feng glanced at the southern horizon. "Bi Ji sent a letter a couple of days ago, saying that the core of the Lake of Life is to be given to me. I reckon it's that seed."

What kind of seed?

"The Ancient Tree of Life," Nan Feng said. "The Old Huai said this thing can reshape the physical body, and it will be useful for resurrecting people in the future."

Tang San paused for a moment.

He recalled the remnant soul of Bibi Dong that Nan Feng had taken away at Jialing Pass, and his own divine position, which was fading day by day. He wanted to ask something, but in the end, he only said one sentence.

"Is your Tower Spirit Space big enough?"

"That's enough. More than enough to plant a tree."

The two parted ways outside the city gate. Tang San took to the air and flew towards Sea God Island. Nan Feng headed south towards the Lake of Life.

After walking half a mile, the Old Huai poked its head out of the Tower Spirit Space.

"Your tone was three degrees softer when you spoke to Ning Rongrong just now."

"She's caught in the middle between her father and Tang San, that's tough enough for her," Nan Feng said. "Let's try to make things as difficult for her as possible."

Old Huai clicked his tongue.

You're quite observant.

The Lake of Life is located in the south-central part of the Douluo Continent, hidden in a perpetual morning mist.

When the Nan Feng arrived, Bi Ji was already waiting by the lake. Dressed in green, she was graceful and held a ball of cyan-gold light in her hand. In the center of the ball of light, a seed the size of a thumb hung in mid-air, its surface patterned in concentric rings, like miniature tree rings.

"The seed of the ancient Ancient Tree of Life that has stood for ten thousand years." Bi Ji handed over the ball of light. "The Lake of Life accumulated this seed over eight thousand years. Plant it in the Tower Spirit Space, water it with the Three Lights Divine Water, and it will grow into a tree in three months."

Nan Feng took it. The moment he received the seed, all nine stories of the tower trembled.

The Primordial World Imprint collided with the Life Origin within the seed, and the two forces rippled outwards within the Tower Spirit Space.

Bibi Dong squatted next to the Nine Heart Begonia, was pushed by the ripples, and looked up to ask.

What is that?

"Tree."

Nan Feng entered the Tower Spirit Space, squatted down in the central open space, and dug a shallow pit with his finger.

Place the seeds inside, cover them with soil, and then draw a drop of the Three Lights Divine Water from the Nine Heavens Treasure Pearl to pour it in.

As the seed was planted, a pale golden mist emerged from the soil. A crack appeared in the ground, and a tender green sprout pushed its way out of the soil. Two leaves unfurled, their veins shimmering with golden light.

Bibi Dong came over to take a look. She stopped watering the Nine Heart Begonia and squatted down next to the tender buds, her eyes wide open.

"So fast?"

"It was caused by the Three Lights Divine Water." Nan Feng squatted down as well. "Old Huai, come out and take a look. Does this thing look right?"

The Old Huai peeked halfway out from the sacred tree, squinted at the tender buds, and then scanned them with its spiritual light.

"Yes. The roots should penetrate deep into the earth's veins within the Tower Spirit Space. The deeper they penetrate, the more stable the physical body will be when it is reshaped. If you use another drop of Three Lights Divine Water, the roots can grow an inch longer."

Another drop of rain fell from the Nan Feng. The tender bud visibly grew taller, its roots emerging from the soil, fine and white as silver threads, burrowing deeper into the ground of the Tower Spirit Space.

Bibi Dong reached out to touch it, but was stopped by Old Huai's shout.

"Don't touch it! The roots are working their way up into the earth; if you break them, the tree will grow crooked!"

Bibi Dong withdrew her hand, squatted down beside him, and watched with her chin in her hand. After watching for a while, she suddenly asked.

Will it bloom?

Nan Feng, who was drawing Immortal Power into the roots, paused for a moment upon hearing this.

"The tree will bloom... I think so."

"Then when it blooms," Bibi Dong looked down at the potted Nine Heart Begonia in front of her.

The crabapple blossoms are in full bloom, with nine pink and white petals.

"Are the flowers on this tree prettier than those of the crabapple?"

Nan Feng glanced at the Old Huai.

Old Huai stroked his beard.

"The flowers of the Ancient Tree of Life are bluish-gold, with nine layers of petals, more magnificent than those of the crabapple. However—"

He then changed the subject.

"The flowering of the Ancient Tree of Life is different from that of the Nine Heart Begonia. The Nine Heart Begonia blooms once a year, while the Ancient Tree of Life only blooms once in its lifetime, and then bears fruit. The fruit is called the Life Fruit, and eating one can reshape the physical body."

After listening, Bibi Dong moved her potted Nine Heart Begonia next to the tender buds of the Ancient Tree of Life, so that the two pots were side by side.

"Then you'll all grow together."

Nan Feng watched this scene and suddenly remembered something.

"Old Huai, once the Ancient Tree of Life has grown to its full potential, to what extent will the Tower Spirit Space possess its self-repairing capabilities?"

"If you break an arm, you can be reattached in three days if you're thrown in here," Old Huai said. "If someone shatters your heart, you can live for seven days if you're thrown in here. If you fight someone to the death and are left with only one breath, crawl in and lie down under this tree, and the roots will automatically supply you with the Life Origin. Of course, that's assuming the tree has grown up. Right now, it's just a sapling, so you'll have to reattach your arm yourself."

Nan Feng nodded. He squatted down and channeled another stream of Immortal Power into the roots, which burrowed into the earth's veins faster, and the third leaf sprouted from the top of the bud.

Bibi Dong watched from the side as the pink and white petals of the Nine Heart Begonia swayed in the ripples of Immortal Power.

"Oh, right."

Nan Feng stood up and patted the dirt off his knees.

"Ning Yuan has run away. We need to hand over the other half of the crack map within three days."

I might have to make several trips out in the next three days.

Bibi Dong looked up at him.

Are you leaving again?

"Three days," Nan Feng held up three fingers. "Come back in three days, and the fourth leaf should have grown on the tree."

Bibi Dong pursed her lips, said nothing, and continued watering the Nine Heart Begonia.

Old Huai winked at Nan Feng from behind, but Nan Feng ignored him.

That evening, the carrier pigeon delivered by Bi Ji landed outside the Tower Spirit Space the Heaven Dou City Tower.

Shifang took it, opened it, glanced at it, and shouted to Nan Feng.

"Brother Nan, Bi Ji said another Life Origin Stone has appeared next to the Lake of Life, bigger than the previous two combined. She's asking if you want it."

The Nan Feng was drawing the fourth drop of the Three Lights Divine Water to the tender buds of the Ancient Tree of Life, and upon hearing this, it didn't even raise its head.

"Yes, tell her I'll pick it up the day after tomorrow."

Shifang responded and squatted back down by the fire to continue turning over the fish.

Bibi Dong peeked half her head out from behind the Nine Heart Begonia.

"We're not going until the day after tomorrow. What are you doing tomorrow?"

After drawing the last bit of Immortal Power to the roots of the Ancient Tree of Life, Nan Feng stood up and stretched his wrists.

"Tomorrow I'll go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to help Ning Fengzhi deal with the Council of Elders. The two elders Ning Yuan took away have something on them in the sect's treasury. I'll help Ning Fengzhi find it, so he doesn't have to deal with a bunch of old foxes all by himself."

Bibi Dong gave an "oh" and lowered her head to water the plants.

Nan Feng stopped at the entrance of the Tower Spirit Space and glanced back at her.

"How long has your Nine Heart Begonia been blooming?"

It's been almost half a month.

How much longer can it keep going?

Bibi Dong did the calculations.

"It can still operate for another two weeks. What's wrong?"

"Once I'm done with this busy period," Nan Feng said, "You should pick the petals of the Nine Heart Begonia and keep them. When the Ancient Tree of Life blooms, use the begonia petals to line the base of the tree. The Old Huai says that this will make the Ancient Tree of Life bloom with one more petal."

Bibi Dong's eyes lit up.

"Real?"

"That's what Old Huai said, ask him."

The Old Huai let out a long, mournful sigh from within the sacred wood.

"When did I say that? Never mind, just pretend I said it."

Bibi Dong smiled and continued watering the plants.

Nan Feng stepped out of the Tower Spirit Space and glanced in the direction of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School. The sky had darkened, and the lights in the direction of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were about 30% less than usual, making the rows of houses of the Council of Elders completely dark.

When Ning Yuan left, he took not only two elders with him, but also a group of deacons who followed suit.

He moved his wrists, and his Immortal Power circulated through his meridians.

Tomorrow I'll go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School to search its internal treasury, and while I'm at it, see what Ning Yuan hid in the secret passage before he ran away.

The old man ran away in a hurry; he only took three of the scrolls in the secret room, leaving the rest behind. When the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light swept over them, one of the scrolls had dark purple Abyss patterns printed on its cover, the same color as the turbid air on the Far North rift.

Ning Yuan stole the map of the Abyssal Rift, but to whom is he going to give it?

He suppressed the thought for the moment and shouted into the Tower Spirit Space.

"Shifang, come with me to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect tomorrow. Bring your grill rack. That old fox Ning Fengzhi gets a stomachache when he's nervous; something hot will help."

Shifang responded from inside, flipped the fish over, and dripped oil into the charcoal fire, sending up a plume of white smoke.

Bibi Dong peeked out from behind the Nine Heart Begonia.

Aren't you taking me with you?

"Keep an eye on the tree," Nan Feng said. "It just started to take root today, so its roots aren't stable yet. Someone needs to keep an eye on it."

Bibi Dong looked down at the tender buds, then looked up at the Nan Feng, and nodded seriously.

Early the next morning, Nan Feng led Shifang out of Heaven Dou City.

The tender shoots of the Ancient Tree of Life are growing in the Tower Spirit Space, and the fourth leaf has already sprouted.

Bibi Dong moved a small stool and sat down next to the tree.

He held a watering can in one hand to water the Nine Heart Begonia, and in the other hand he used a bamboo stick to loosen the soil around the Ancient Tree of Life, muttering incantations to himself.

"Grow taller quickly, and I'll use the crabapple blossoms as a base for your roots."

Old Huai sighed as he looked around the fairy tree, then turned to the pile of charcoal fire that Shifang had left at home and said...

"This girl used to be the Pope, now she looks like a tree planter."

The charcoal fire crackled, but no one answered.

In front of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's inner treasury, Nan Feng kicked open the dusty side door.

The Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light scanned the room and spotted a dark purple-covered document among a pile of old boxes in the corner.

He picked it up, flipped through a couple of pages, and frowned.

This scroll doesn't record the location of the crack, but rather the "method to open" it.

Ning Yuan stole this thing to create a crack.

Shifang peeked over from the side, his mouth greasy, and asked.

"Brother Nan, is this thing troublesome?"

Nan Feng rolled up the document and tucked it into his bosom, then walked towards Ning Fengzhi's study.

"It's troublesome, but there's still time."

At the entrance to the study, Ning Fengzhi was rubbing his temples in front of the impeachment documents from the two elders.

Nan Feng pushed open the door and slammed the dark purple document onto the table.

"Your Elder Ning Yuan doesn't want to strengthen the seal; he wants to break it. If you don't do something about it, something terrible is going to happen in the Far North."

Ning Fengzhi paused, looked up at the dark purple patterns on the document's cover, and his expression darkened.

"Take down Ning Yuan's two strongholds outside the city within three days." Nan Feng pulled up a chair and sat down, Shifang set up a grill for grilling fish at the door. "You provide the manpower, I'll provide the Immortal Power. Are you in?"

Ning Fengzhi pushed the impeachment document aside, picked up the dark purple document, flipped through two pages, and remained silent for three breaths.

"Dry."

Shifang called out from the doorway.

"The grilled fish is ready. Shall we eat and chat?"

Nan Feng Ning Fengzhi raised his chin.

"Eat the fish first. We'll talk about it afterwards."

Inside the Tower Spirit Space, the fourth leaf of the Ancient Tree of Life fully unfolded, and the golden light within its veins was twice as bright as the previous three.

Bibi Dong squatted down and watched for a long time. Suddenly, she reached out and touched the tip of a leaf, but not the roots. Old Huai did not stop her.

"Tell me when it blooms," Bibi Dong said to the sapling. "I've collected a whole pot of crabapple petals."

The sapling shook its leaves.