Chapter 138: Return to Mount Yujing and the Summit Treasure Tree
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor:
Lin Feng steered the Black Cloud Flag in a streak of dark light across the horizon and, once again, came face-to-face with Mount Yujing, enveloped in the Heaven-Revolving Purple Clouds.
From far, he caught sight of the four, including Xiao Budian, seated on the Feilian and slowly circling the sea of Heaven-Revolving Purple Clouds, deep in thought.
Lin Feng inconspicuously detoured around to another direction and retrieved the Heaven and Earth Mirror and the Gaia Jade.
"Central Wutu Divine Light!" With a silent command, a beam of yellow light fired from the surface of the Heaven and Earth Mirror. Instead of looking dim, the light appeared to be extraordinarily intense and heavy.
Precisely as the Central Wutu Divine Light appeared, the Gaia Jade started to tremble relentlessly, as if it was sentient and was terrified of something.
The yellow light engulfed the Gaia Jade, whose trembles were turning more violent by the second. If Lin Feng hadn't been grasping it tightly, it would almost have flown out of his hand.
The yellow Central Wutu Divine Light, upon contact with the Gaia Jade, appeared as if it received a huge dose of adrenaline as its radiance shined even brighter.
Meanwhile, the size of the Gaia Jade was visibly shrinking. In an instant, the yellow jade, previously the size of a washbasin, has shrunk to palm-sized. Near the end, the Gaia Jade, as if aware of its inevitable fate, finally gave up resistance and stopped shaking. Simultaneously, the Central Wutu Divine Light unceremoniously absorbed all of the abundant Earthen Essence within the Gaia Jade.
Finally, the Gaia Jade shrank to the size of a pigeon egg and turned glossy black, just like an unremarkable stone.
At this moment, a system notification rang out beside Lin Feng's ear. "The host has successfully strengthened the Central Wutu Divine Light. Central Wutu Divine Light random secondary mission completed, reward – one lottery chance!"
A smile came across Lin Feng's face as he flipped the Heaven and Earth Mirror. As the yellow light shined on the Heaven-Revolving Purple Clouds, the turbulent purple clouds rapidly retreated, opening up a path.
Lin Feng did not dare to hesitate for even a moment and entered through the path cleared by the Central Wutu Divine Light.
As the Central Wutu Divine Light continued to neutralize the Heaven-Revolving Purple Clouds, the intensity of the yellow light lowered yet again.
Just that this time, the rate of decline was noticeably slower than the first time.
Lin Feng watched the intensity of the Central Wutu Divine Light closely. Although the rate of decline was slower, no one can promise that this time, it would be sufficient. As one approached Mount Yujing, the concentration of Heaven-Revolving Purple Clouds multiplied.
Despite the shielding from the Central Wutu Divine Light, Lin Feng could still feel the repulsive force from the Heaven-Revolving Purple Clouds strengthening.
Suddenly, Lin Feng had an inspiration. As he controlled the Central Wutu Divine Light to clear the path, he slashed the air with his right hand.
The Fences of the Heavens was working; countering repulsion with repulsion, to a degree, it held the repulsion from the Heaven-Revolving Purple Clouds at bay. Even the pressure on the Heaven and Earth Mirror was greatly reduced; the rate of decay of the Central Wutu Divine Light was visibly slowed.
Lin Feng was delighted. The two types of energy – the Central Wutu Divine Light and the Fences of the Heavens – roared on, unstoppable, and, at last, overcome the hindrance of the Heaven-Revolving Purple Clouds.
Once he was out of the sea of purple clouds, Lin Feng had a clear and unrestricted view before his eyes.
Before him lay a majestic mountain, white as the purest jade and reaching up to a height of thousands of meters.
Horizontal on the ground, a thousand meters did not actually appear too outrageous.
But once vertical, in front of humans, it was absolutely awe-inspiring.
Looking up at Mount Yujing, Lin Feng could not help but exclaim, "What a celestial white-jade mountain!"
He could sense that not even a thousand meters are the true altitude of Mount Yujing; it was just that it was now manifesting as such.
Standing before Mount Yujing, Lin Feng was struck with the sudden awareness that he was but an infinitesimally small speck of dust, while Mount Yujing stood vast as the entire universe.
Not clear visibly, but simply the most primal sensation originating from the soul, deep inside him.
Lin Feng stepped onto the stone steps at the foot of the mountain and climbed upwards, step by step.
He did not employ the aid of the Black Cloud Flag, nor did he use his Dual Dimension Vacuum Charm. Just his own two feet, step by step, like how mere mortals would climb a mountain.
With every step, Lin Feng could sense that his understanding of the universe's fundamental laws increasing a little more.
Lin Feng did not attempt to calculate the time. It was after he walked the entire flight of stairs and reached the summit of Mount Yujing that he awoke, as if from a long, eventful dream.
He felt that he has already walked for ages, that he walked through countless eons and eternities.
But paradoxically, it was also as if he walked from the foot to the summit in a single step.
"Ancient as eternity, yet fleeting as a single instant. Mount Yujing…it seems to embody the Way of Time." Lin Feng felt himself coming over with enlightenment. "Eternity and Instant, the two extremes of Time. Understand the Way of Eternity and Instant, and you have deciphered the enigma of Time."
Lin Feng walked on the summit of Mount Yujing. The geography of the summit is rolling and flat, but the most striking thing was – at the center of the summit – a mammoth tree, standing tall as the sky and radiant with rainbow light.
This Rainbow Treasure Tree was colossal; its trunk stood large as the greatest city, its canopy masked half the sky and blotted out the sun itself.
Every single leaf was a mu, glimmering with the light of splendid treasures.
At first glance, this Treasure Tree seemed to be larger than even Mount Yujing itself.
But upon closer inspection, it felt small as a feeble sapling, planted alone at the peak of Mount Yujing.
The epitome of bigness, and the epitome of smallness. The two completely antithetical sensations merged perfectly, exuding a conception that was abstruse yet gratifying.
Coming to the foot of the tree, Lin Feng felt a fascinating connection.
"Black Heavenly Treasure Tree…is it?" Lin Feng looked up at the impressive trunk. "That's the name of this tree? People say that there are the Four Great Strange Trees of the universe – the Divine Parasol Tree, the Celestial Jade Tree, the Ginseng Fruit Tree, and the Saros Steel Tree. But there's no Black Heavenly Treasure Tree among them."
Lin Feng scratched his head. In fact, apart from the Celestial Jade Tree Demon Long Ye, he had never seen any of the remaining three Great Strange Trees.
Even for Long Ye, its body was long since destroyed by Yan Mingyue, thus all he saw was a strand of its Demon Soul.
But when Lin Feng associated the Black Heavenly Treasure Tree with the Four Great Strange Trees, he couldn't help but feel that notion surfacing.
Four Great Strange Trees? Even added together, they could never hope to compete with this single Black Heavenly Treasure Tree.
"Is it my misconception?" Contemplating the Black Heavenly Treasure Tree, Lin Feng smiled. "Or, is it your declaration?"
Steering the Black Cloud Flag, Lin Feng flew up.
The topmost crown of the Black Heavenly Treasure Tree extended straight into the void, as far as the eye could see.
"The top of this Black Heavenly Treasure Tree's crown grew straight into an alternate dimension!" Lin Feng staggered back, shocked. "No, that's not right! The Black Heavenly Treasure Tree did not grow into the alternate dimension – it forged an alternate dimension by itself!"
"This Black Heavenly Treasure Tree…it forged a dimension on its own!"
Lin Feng took a deep breath and continued up, stepping into the dimension at the top of the Black Heavenly Treasure Tree.
Shadows and light flashed before his eyes. After everything settled down, before Lin Feng, a brand new, miniature world appeared.
Rainbow light perpetually flashed. The sky is not blue, but a bright white. Where Lin Feng stood, all of it was the liveliest green.
On the emerald ground, a much smaller Black Heavenly Treasure Tree grew. It had plentiful leaves and thick branches; as it swayed gently, the scent of Life caressed one's face.
"Wa! Wa! Wa!"
"Eh? Why would there be the sound of children crying?" Lin Feng focused his gaze and saw, on the soil below the Black Heavenly Treasure Tree, lay a chubby but entirely khaki toddler!
The chubby infant was khaki – yellow as the humble soil – from head to toe. Not just his clothes, but even his skin is colored dull yellow as if his whole body was molded from mud and earth.
However, the cries of this chubby child were loud and his expression vivid. He rolled about on the ground ceaselessly, yelling unfamiliar syllables. In his cries, Lin Feng could only barely identify a single word.
"Hungry!"
Lin Feng landed below the tree and came to the side of the chubby khaki kid, observing him cautiously.
However, he seemed to not exist to the toddler. His gaze visibly swept past Lin Feng's coordinates, but the gaze was unfocused as if Lin Feng was transparent. His only action was to prop himself up with his plump arms and legs, wailing like nobody's business.
"Hmm." Lin Feng had a thought. He pulled the mortal snacks he had bought for Xiao Budian out of the Storage Pouch and threw them to the chubby kid.
This time, the toddler reacted, grabbing the snacks and shoving them into his mouth, but his gaze remained vacant and unfocused as if he was completely unable to see Lin Feng.
As the food entered his mouth, the chubby toddler froze for a second before pouting his lips and spitting it out. "Splat!" His wailing grew even louder, obviously not caring for mortal snacks.
Amazed, Lin Feng threw out a few elixirs for cultivator’s use. The kid happily accepted and tasted them one by one, but none could satisfy him – everything ended up vomited onto the ground.
"Little brat! You're certainly picky." Lin Feng didn't know whether to be angry or amused. As he pondered, suddenly, he heard heavy footsteps coming from far.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Turning, Lin Feng peered in that direction. Instantly, his pupils dilated.