Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 723 Wood Fire
Tianzhong.

The thorn-covered gate was wide open, revealing a gloomy twilight that was almost dusk. Only a sliver of blue light could be seen leaping into it, then vanishing without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

Standing atop that lotus-shaped statue, Tian Tuo could no longer see anything clearly before him; only the endless twilight licked at him, greedily swallowing him and the statue whole.

boom!
The sound of wood and stone clashing suddenly pierced his ears. The statue fell to the ground, and he was also hit by a violent impact. Even with his Purple Mansion level physical body, he felt dizzy.

As dusk deepened, everything became difficult to see.

The image gradually returned to its original size, shrinking to one foot in length. Like a dragon or snake rising up, it coiled around Tian Tuo's shoulder, emitting rays of azure light that barely illuminated the path ahead.

The ground was paved with large swathes of bluestone, overgrown with weeds, shrouded in white mist, with no end in sight, while the sky above was shrouded in deep twilight, with the setting sun in the far west, dim and hazy.

The setting sun was eerily large, seemingly very close to the ground, casting a reddish glow that resembled dripping blood. Below, a bottomless abyss was vaguely visible, from which layers of dark vegetation stretched out like long hands, supporting the great sun at dusk.

Tian Tuo stood still, staring blankly at this strange scene. The setting sun and twilight before him embraced him tightly, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Just as humans stood on the earth tens of thousands of years ago, gazing at this twilight scene, the oldest shamans would call their people back to escape the night.

An unbearable sense of dread arose within him, and he suddenly felt an urge to tear off the robes and belt he was wearing. Reason quickly receded, replaced by an incredibly intense primal lust.

【Mo】

The sun sets behind the grass and trees, returning to the abyss of Yu.

A surge of pure energy coursed through his mind, stabilizing his spirit. He gradually stood still, no longer controlled by that astonishing beastly nature. The twilight settled within his inner landscape, transforming into a long, dark blade of grass that took root there.

Dong Cang didn't give him much spirit wood, and the Azure Dragon King of the Cave never mentioned it. Now, Chang Su did send him a blade of grass, but it doesn't seem to be a good thing.

The spot originally reserved for the White Wood Temple already had a lush green bamboo, radiating primordial light, but now it was gradually being obscured by the twilight, and the yin energy was dissipating.

The seal script of 【Donghua Miaoyan】 echoes the changes, taking that 【Qingxia Zhengjin Bamboo】 as its root, descending the rolling Shaoyang Qi, commanding all trees, and the radiance of the rising sun is growing and spreading.

The aura of green wood peeled off his body and transformed into various spirits, some as ginseng children, some as willow wood old men, and some as locust flower beauties, all tearing at his clothes.

Tian Tuo struggled to reach out and drive away these monsters, but his magical power seemed to stagnate, making it difficult to unleash even the slightest bit of supernatural ability. Grotesque and hideous wood ailments sprouted on his skin, transforming into goiters, wrinkles, wooden armor, and so on.

He staggered a few steps and fell headfirst, only to find himself reflected in a pool of clear spring water.

A white-feathered black rooster stands in the temple.

The divine bird seemed to be dying, lying on the ground with its crown askew and claws crooked. Its white feathers were covered with countless blisters, and its golden crown, which was as bright as the rising sun, was extremely dim, stained with specks of deathly blue, and with colorful rainbows clinging to it.

【tender】

Disasters may harm one's appearance, and may lead to premature birth.

Steaming white spring water overflowed and flowed along the crack in the blue stone to his side, gradually relieving his ailment. A feeling of compassion descended upon him, allowing him to stand up again.

Tian Tuo took a deep breath, respectfully straightened his clothes, and his magical power gradually recovered. The green light of the primordial wood swept over him, removing the filth that had stained him.

"Yuan (元) represents appearance, and appearance is characterized by respect. When a ruler loses his composure, a powerful minister will harm him."

'The various properties of Yuanmu (Primordial Wood) manifest in its dispersing and rising, its lying down and yielding, its yielding and supporting, and its entering into power, like the commands of Heaven and the decrees of a monarch. Pure as a spring breeze, it educates and transforms all things. Therefore, it can govern the true spring and be the Emperor of the East. However, its most important property is also the secret of the Great Dao of Qingyuan (Primordial Green), which cannot be comprehended by outsiders—'

'It lies with Qi Jie.'

The various records in the Qingyuan Yiyang Book flowed through my mind like water, and the Baimu Temple was also a substitute for the Shangli’s “Qinxiujie” and the “Chuxiuxi” of the Fuqi!

The essence of this [White Wood Temple] lies in the uprightness of all the trees and the purity of the ruler's appearance. At this moment, a surge of auspicious wood energy rises and falls into the inner landscape, gradually transforming into a peach tree with flowers as beautiful as a woman, its stillness exquisitely beautiful.

Tian Tuo quietly observed the changes in the inner landscape. This peach tree was extremely strange, seemingly foreshadowing fortune and misfortune. The ancients referred to the categories of "Yun Ji Zhen Hua Zang" as "spirits" and also "auspicious omens."

When something unusual is born, it is called a calamity; when something comes from outside, it is called an auspicious sign.

Thunder can represent the good or bad fortune of heaven and announce it to the world. It is also an auspicious sign. However, its position is very special. It is often used together with earth to represent the signs of heaven and earth, and it is above them.

His spiritual sense gradually stabilized, and he continued along the road. Just as he had previously deduced, this was definitely the location of the Changsu Cave Heaven, and the scene in the far west was even the [Momu]!
As the clear energy circulated, Tian Tuo seemed to see the scene in the setting sun, vaguely resembling a black creature with three legs, black feathers, and bony bones. An aura of restlessness and oppression enveloped him in an instant.

His eyes suddenly exploded, and thick, black blood, like lead and mercury, flowed out, dripping onto the bluestone on the ground, melting the stone slabs and emitting a foul stench.

Tian Tuo lowered his head, not daring to look any further, a trembling suspicion creeping into his heart.

'Mo Mu is the tree that bears the sunset, and sunset is precisely Ming Yi. The original form of the second son of the ancient Golden Crow should be this blood-red setting sun, near the Abyss of Yu, carried by Mo Mu. And the later, lightless black sun was He who swallowed [You Jun]!'

What is the relationship between this Jiaoyang and Pan Mi? Are they conspiring together?

This area was deserted and silent, except for the long, endless bluestone path that stretched forward. Tian Tuo could only continue walking, the blue dragon statue perched on his shoulder slowly radiating light and illuminating the path.

After traveling for an unknown amount of time, things finally changed. An ancient palace cast in bronze stood there, layer upon layer, like a dense forest, with slender, blood-red vines twining and climbing along the beams, pillars, and eaves, seemingly blending into the palace itself.

Below the palace lies an endless void, where blood-red vines hang down like a woman's hair, stretching out in all directions. Countless people can be seen connected to these vines, and one of them even extends towards himself.

'All the Wood cultivators under heaven will likely be controlled by this True Lord, and even other Wood element cultivators may very well be taken advantage of by Him. Truly, what a brilliant tactic!'

He vaguely recalled the rumors he had heard in the past: among all the Golden Core cultivators, this Yi Wood Demon Lord was the most capable of stirring up trouble in the mortal world and disregarding the rules. It seemed that he was using such methods.

Tian Tuo felt a chill in his heart. If he could be lured into this Demon Lord's clutches by the seal script he had been given, what about the other Wood Virtue cultivators who had no background? If there was no adult to vouch for them, their lives would probably be in the Demon Lord's hands.

'Without a powerful background, never cultivate the Wood element!'

He continued onward and reached the center of the complex, where he saw a magnificent palace radiating a deep blue light. Wild grasses grew all around, vines clung to it, countless blue caterpillars wriggled, gray bees swarmed, and nests of all sizes were hidden in the corners of the palace.

【Changsu Palace】

A jet-black plaque hangs high above, exuding an ancient and abundant demonic aura, proclaiming the orthodox status of the ancient Yi Wood in this place. However, the plaque is cracked in the middle, with a faint gray-white Dui light flashing, and an endless sharpness surges through time and space, extremely resolute.

Gold exchange ruling!

Tian Tuo lowered his head and looked ahead. At this moment, the gate of the demon palace was wide open, and like a living creature, it greedily crawled forward, wanting to swallow the man who was almost within reach.

The green wooden dragon on his shoulder shone brightly, protecting him, but offering no guidance.

The right to choose is his.

He could step inside to learn about the decisions of the Mude lords, or he could turn around and leave. No one told him what to do, but he just knew.

He had lived a very long time and could understand some of the meaning of the Golden Core. Since it was this celestial image that led him into the Changsu Cave Heaven, it meant that Tianyu had tacitly approved of Changsu's actions.

how so?

If Dongcang also wants to kill him, Jiamu is unwilling to see Yuanmu return to its position. Tiantuo feels that he has no way out. Now, all five paths of wood virtue in the world should have a true lord present.

Yuanmu, the Lord of Xuanqiong, [Yuanyan], has survived since the ancient Earthly Era, having experienced the reign of Leigong, and represents the wind disaster.

Yi Wood, the master of the Demonic Land, [Pan Mi], first corrected Yi Wood to the right path, then betrayed his own master, causing this path to completely fall into demonic ways.

The character Ji Mu is unclear, but he must be a figure from the Penglai fairyland. He must have lived for a very long time, and the name "Penglai" alone represents transcendence.

Jia Mu Guowei, the ruler of Dongcang, [Tianyu], is also one of the original nine sons. Jia Guangxiang moved to seek the Dao in his leisure time, and his Dao cultivation is probably enough to rank him among the top in the world.

As for Hiroki, that [Kami Hiroki] should not have completely perished yet?

The forces of Mude are complex and intertwined, and each True Lord is no ordinary person; they have existed for a very long time. And everything today may be under the watchful eyes of these great figures.

'【Mu Wuzhi】Yes, this is the authority of that Yimu Demon Lord, capable of isolating the outside world. The so-called assassination plot is merely a pretext. My lords, you are already here; this is a major matter within the Wood Deity realm!'

He was startled, his mind was in turmoil, and he seemed to have figured something out.

The [Pan Image] perched on the shoulder slowly changed, entered the inner landscape, and transformed into a dragon-scaled green tree. It gathered yang energy and expressed the horn sound, making the azure-gold divine bamboo's energy flourish and become more and more perfect.

The White Wood Temple is taking shape at an extremely rapid pace; it's only a few steps away from being fully formed!
Guangmu is missing a piece of Guangmu!
A near-fatal attraction emanated from the depths of this demonic palace, seemingly harboring something that represented Guangmu's righteousness, causing Tiantuo's heart to pound.

He had a premonition that if he could obtain another piece of Guangmu wood, it would be a tremendous help in his future pursuit of gold, and might even be the opportunity for him to achieve enlightenment!
Tian Tuo looked at the hideous and sinister portal, which was dark inside. Without further hesitation, he took a step out.

Nothing seemed amiss, except for the faint rumble of thunder.

As the surroundings brightened, Tian Tuo slowly looked around and saw that the interior of this demon palace was filled with terrifying azure lightning, surging and erupting, causing the palace's ceiling to shatter inch by inch.

In the very center of this demon palace stands a pitch-black throne, carved from wood, upon which flowers and plants grow.

On the throne lay a corpse, its face blurred, dressed in a plain white robe. Its flesh and blood rotted like rotten wood, and endless twilight floated within its body, like all the creeping and spreading vegetation. In a daze, the corpse seemed to transform into the shape of a green ape, its malevolent energy dissipating.

At the heart of this corpse was an extremely terrifying light, grayish-white and gathering, like a snake writhing, with a destructive intent that almost shattered everything.

Tian Tuo's form began to disintegrate, and countless flowers and plants sprouted from his body. His abundant bestiality surged again, and even the pure energy of the seal script could not dispel it. His clothes were falling off, his flesh and blood were degenerating, and a howl that sounded almost like a monkey came from his throat.

He opened his decaying eyes wide and looked at the corpse, on which was a crown.

The crown was entirely reddish-black, carved from wood, extremely rigid, and also a nest inhabited by insects, mysteriously connected to various trees. However, it looked as if it had been forcibly placed on the corpse by later generations, crushing the skull of the corpse.

Finally, what came into his view was the Li Fire lurking in the boundless void. The apricot-yellow flames spread across the heavens and earth, clinging and surging, intertwining like a net. Every tongue of fire pointed towards that crown, but was blocked by the twilight and could not get close.

Remove from heat!

(End of this chapter)