Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 689 Big Tree
The vast primeval forests undulate and stretch out in the scorching winds of southern Xinjiang, like solidified, dark green, towering waves, rolling and surging toward the horizon.

Liang Jin's figure floated lightly above the crest of the boundless forest.

He did not activate the extraordinary skill "Walking with Wind and Shadow" which consumes internal energy at this moment, nor did he deliberately use any specific lightness technique.

Its form simply drifts freely with the mountain breeze, lighter and more ethereal than a real fallen leaf.

The wide, dark yellow robe sleeves billowed and swayed in the airflow, like the wings of a golden roc spreading across the sky.

His posture was relaxed and elegant. Every time he seemed about to fall into the dense canopy of trees, he would simply lightly touch the highest leaves or slender branches with his toes. His movements were graceful, like a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving no trace.

Immediately, a gentle yet powerful force arose from beneath his feet, lifting his body once again, as if carried by an invisible breeze, and drifting leisurely forward for several dozen feet.

Her clothes fluttered and rustled.
This is the effect of mastering lightness skills to perfection!

His experiences were truly exceptional.

When he first started learning lightness skills, he practiced a high-quality manual like "Divine Speed ​​and Hundred Transformations". Later, he acquired "Walking with Wind and Shadow", which was already the pinnacle of earth-level lightness skills. Liang Jin had even seen the heaven-level lightness skill "Soaring to Immortality".

The "Soaring to Immortality Steps" are said to have an effect similar to shrinking the earth to an inch once mastered, and the speed is even faster than the speed of sound!
Having come into contact with so many excellent lightness skills, Liang Jin's understanding naturally far surpassed that of ordinary martial artists.

After leaving the Demon Palace, he leisurely flew back, showing none of the anxiety he had shown on the way there.

In order to catch up with the corpse of Bei Yi, which was controlled by the Void Ghost, he pushed his lightness skill to the limit, and his internal energy surged and was consumed like boiling water. He was extremely anxious, fearing that if he was a step too slow, he would not be able to catch up.

But now he has obtained the Uncorrupted Corpse of Guixu on Bei Yi's body, and has also gained additional benefits. The three pieces of "Divine Witch Remnant Body" are in his sleeve. The unexpected confrontation with the Witch Spirit has yielded great results. His state of mind is as clear as a sunny sky after rain, relaxed and natural.

“Boom, boom, boom!!!”

Suddenly, a deep and oppressive rumble of thunder rolled in from afar, shattering the tranquility of the mountains and forests.

The sound was not a fleeting explosion, but a continuous roar, like thousands of chariots crushing across the sky, carrying a destructive force that approached from afar, making people tremble.

The sky suddenly darkened!

Liang Jin froze, landing steadily on the summit of a solitary peak in front of him, with jagged, dark blue rocks spread out beneath his feet.

He looked north—

All I could see was the boundless horizon!
The once azure sky had been swallowed up by an endless expanse of dark, inky clouds.

The dark clouds were not still; rather, they resembled boiling black waves or countless ferocious beasts, layer upon layer, surging toward this place at a visible speed.

Within the dark clouds, blinding flashes of lightning appeared and disappeared intermittently, not just one or two, but thousands upon thousands, like countless golden pythons writhing, playing, and roaring wildly in the clouds.

They tore through the sky, carrying the might of heaven and earth, and crashed down fiercely.

What's even more chilling is that the violent lightning didn't just flash high in the sky, but struck the forests below without mercy.

Liang Jin has excellent eyesight and can clearly see that in the distance, towering ancient trees are struck by lightning and burst open instantly, bursting into flames that are particularly dazzling against the dark sky.

However, the moisture contained in the dark clouds seemed to have reached its limit. Often, shortly after the fire started, torrential rain would pour down, like a celestial river flowing backward, quickly extinguishing the flames and leaving only wisps of smoke and charred remains.

Flames, thick smoke, and water jets clashed and exploded violently!
"What a violent thunderstorm!"

Liang Jin murmured to himself:

"I have long heard that the climate in the Southern Continent is unpredictable, like a child's face, changing three times a day."

"When I saw him today, he certainly lived up to his reputation."

He couldn't help but turn around and look in the direction he had come from.

The sunlight poured down unreservedly from the azure sky, which was like a giant glass mirror, casting golden light across the fields, making the mountains verdant, and the sky clear and cloudless!

On one side, there was a sky filled with ink-black darkness, thunderous roars, and torrential rain!
On one side, the weather was perfectly clear! A gentle breeze and bright sunshine!
Two extraordinary phenomena of heaven and earth violently tore at, collided with, and crushed each other along that invisible dividing line, which seemed to have been cleaved by a giant axe of the gods! They formed a breathtaking and utterly barbaric confrontation!
"Rain and sunshine at the same time, day and night are divided by shades, nothing could be more fitting."

"The wonders of nature are truly awe-inspiring."

A faint smile appeared on Liang Jin's lips, a smile that was both poignant and wary.

His fingertips unconsciously brushed against the red fur of the jade-faced fire monkey standing on end on his shoulder.

At this moment, the strange monkey also shrank its neck, its dark red beast eyes warily looking towards the devastating thundercloud tsunami on the northern horizon!
Despite his admiration, he immediately decided to find a place to take refuge.

It wasn't that he was afraid of the torrential rain. With his current incomparably powerful internal energy, he only needed to slightly activate it to form an invisible wall of energy on his body. Before the raindrops even got close, they would be gently repelled by the energy, leaving not a single drop wet.

What he really needed to avoid was the unpredictable thunder and lightning, which contained the power of heaven and earth!

The mountains and forests of Nanzhou are dense and the vegetation is tall. To maintain high speed, one must fly over the treetops.

However, in this thunderstorm, flying in open areas, especially at high altitudes, is tantamount to turning oneself into a living lightning rod, which is simply courting death.

Although Liang Jin was confident in his strong physique and had been tempered by many fortuitous encounters, making him far superior to ordinary martial artists, how could he withstand the power of heavenly lightning?

He wasn't entirely unsure, but he had absolutely no intention of trying.

Why would you physically take the brunt of a landmine when there's absolutely no need for it?

That's not bravery, that's foolishness.

Taking such a dangerous risk to cover this short distance is simply not worth it.

To be on the safe side, it's better to avoid the brunt of the storm for now and wait until it passes before continuing our journey. After all, we have plenty of time and nothing urgent.

Having made up his mind, Liang Jin prepared to land and find a cave or a rock to take shelter from the lightning.

however.

Just as he was about to move, a mountain breeze happened to blow in his face.

The wind carried the scent of damp earth, the freshness of grass and trees, and the slight fishiness before the rain. But apart from these, Liang Jin's keen nose twitched suddenly:
"Ok?"

A unique and indescribable fragrance mingled in the wind, faint yet distinctly clear, penetrating his nostrils.

The fragrance is neither like orchids nor like musk; upon first whiff, it is refreshing and invigorating.

Upon closer examination, one can feel the pure and vibrant life force contained within!

"This is... the unique fragrance of rare and precious herbs!"

A glint flashed in Liang Jin's eyes, and his expression immediately became solemn and focused.

He had experienced more than one extraordinary encounter, and he would never mistake the aura of a spiritual being containing the essence of heaven and earth.

Different natural treasures have different aromas, but the truly top-quality ones often have a subtle effect of purifying the mind and nourishing the blood and qi.

He had consumed the "Purple Cloud Treasure Flower," which could add thirty years of pure internal energy out of thin air, and had also tasted the "Mysterious Ice Snow Lotus," which could increase internal energy by five years and had miraculous healing effects. He was all too familiar with this feeling.

The mere wisp of fragrance carried on the breeze was enough to refresh him, demonstrating the extraordinary nature of this product!
If one could obtain it, the benefits would be immeasurable, perhaps equivalent to decades of arduous cultivation, and it might even have other miraculous effects.

The opportunity is right in front of us, how can we miss it?
Liang Jin immediately suppressed the thought of seeking shelter from the rain, and his figure, like a wisp of green smoke, followed the faint medicinal fragrance and sped away in the direction from which the wind was blowing.

In a few leaps and bounds, he had already crossed the mountain in front of him.

The vision suddenly opens up.

In the distance, in a relatively flat valley, the outline of a city suddenly appeared!

This is a magnificent city in southern Xinjiang, nestled against mountains and beside water!

Rugged, primitive, and grand! The city walls are built from massive, dark black mountain rocks, resembling a savage beast lurking in the dim light!
Located on the frontier, Nanzhou is mountainous and densely forested. The scale of its cities is usually incomparable to the bustling metropolises in the heart of the Great Qian Dynasty, let alone the magnificent imperial capital.

however.

The sight of this city before him caused even the well-traveled Liang Jin to narrow his eyes and show a look of astonishment.

Because of the sheer presence of this magnificent city…

They were all swallowed up by that terrifying thing that stood right in the center of the city!
树！
One...

It is fundamentally impossible to explain using conventional reasoning.

The Divine Tree Reaching Heaven!!!
In the center of this city, instead of ordinary government offices, mansions, or bell and drum towers, grows a towering giant tree!
This is a truly colossal tree, its size far exceeding the realm of common sense! Liang Jin had seen large trees before in his previous life. The largest tree he knew of was a species called the giant sequoia, which could reach a height of nearly 100 meters, equivalent to a 30-story building, and its trunk was so thick that it would take 20 people to encircle it.

That is already a natural wonder.

But this giant tree before us...

Compared to the giant cedar tree that Liang Jin had seen in his previous life, it was like a seedling that had just broken through the soil!

The tree is at least 200 meters tall, comparable to a 60-story building! The diameter of its trunk is terrifying; Liang Jin roughly estimates that it would take hundreds of adult men with outstretched arms to barely encircle it!
Its canopy spread out, blocking out the sky and casting shadows that covered almost half of the city.

So much so that from Liang Jin's position, the height of this giant tree even surpasses some of the nearby low peaks, making it the most dazzling presence in this world.

The entire city was clearly built around this giant tree.

Houses and streets surround this miracle of life like stars around the moon.

Even more astonishing is that many houses have been built on the thick, mountain-like tree trunks, taking advantage of the natural unevenness and horizontal branches!

These treehouses are stacked one on top of another, from simple to exquisite, from low to high, resembling a vertical village.

Near the top of the tree, on a huge platform formed by countless thick, gnarled branches, stands an exceptionally beautiful and magnificent building, appearing and disappearing amidst the swirling clouds and mist. Its specific form is not clear, but it exudes an aura of solemnity and mystery, resembling both a palace and a temple.

"This...this is no ordinary giant tree, it can be called a 'divine tree'!"

Liang Jin was deeply shocked and couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice:

"Such a colossal thing, how much essence of the sun and moon has it absorbed, how many years of vicissitudes has it endured? Thousands of years? Probably far more than that!"

The largest giant sequoia in the previous life only lived for nearly three thousand years.

And this tree, which is so large, probably has an even longer lifespan.

To nourish such a massive life form, an extremely abundant water source is necessary.

Sure enough, Liang Jin noticed that a wide river, like a jade belt, meandered through the city's perimeter, not only providing the city with water and convenient transportation, but also forming a natural moat.

The roots of that giant tree must have penetrated deep into the ground, reaching the water veins, to grow so magnificently.

“Rumble——!!!”

The rumble of thunder in the sky roared again, this time closer and even more deafening.

Liang Jin's attention was drawn back from the awe of the giant tree and turned to the city.

The city was a scene of bustling chaos.

Countless tiny black dots of people surged like ants on the streets and along the riverbank.

They carried various containers, frantically drawing water from the river, and hurriedly transported it back to the city, especially converging on the direction of the giant tree.

A sense of tension and anxiety seemed to permeate the air.

Clearly, the people living here have a deep fear of the approaching thunderstorm and the fires it may cause, as well as a wealth of experience in dealing with them.

Seeing this, Liang Jin understood.

Competition in nature is brutal and direct; the law of the jungle applies equally to the plant kingdom.

The giant sequoias he knew from his previous life could grow so tall not only because they competed for sunlight, but also because they "attracted lightning."

They act as lightning rods, actively attracting natural fires to ignite the forests, burning away their competitors. They then survive the fire thanks to their thick, fire-resistant bark, using the ashes as nutrients to allow their seeds to germinate and grow better in the cleared land.

The “divine tree” in front of us is much taller than the giant sequoia; it’s practically a walking super lightning rod!
One can imagine that in this area, lightning and fires must be commonplace.

Looking around the giant tree, it was indeed a relatively open area with few other tall trees, which was obviously the result of long-term "slash-and-burn" farming.

"Knowing how dangerous this place is, they still live here for generations, even building their houses in the trees..."

Liang Jin seemed to be deep in thought:
"It seems that this giant tree is more than just a tree in their hearts; it is a totem, a belief, and a deity that protects them."

Enduring danger for one's faith, even viewing it as a test or a blessing from God, is a common occurrence throughout human history.

It is only natural that such a miraculous giant tree would be revered as a deity and worshipped by the residents of this southern region.

Just then, an even stronger mountain wind howled past, and the strange medicinal fragrance contained in the wind suddenly became even stronger!
Liang Jin's spirits lifted, his eyes flashing like lightning as he instantly locked onto the source of the fragrance—it came from the towering, majestic tree in the center of the city!
Perhaps it was because a thunderstorm was approaching and the air pressure was changing, or perhaps the spirit itself had reached a certain maturity, that the fragrance could be transmitted so clearly.

"Even from such a great distance, the fragrance is still so clear, it even slightly stirs the blood and energy within my body..."

A burning glint flashed in Liang Jin's eyes:
"The quality of this rare and precious material that has appeared is probably beyond our imagination!"

"How many years of internal energy can the medicine's effects be equivalent to? Fifty years? Eighty years? Or... some other miraculous transformative effects?"

Opportunity moves people!
Such a precious treasure, now that we've come across it, there's no reason to let it slip away.

Liang Jin immediately decided to enter the city to investigate.

With a slight movement, he was about to leap directly down from the mountaintop towards that strange tree city.

However, his movements paused slightly when his gaze inadvertently swept over a rugged mountain road leading to the city.

On the winding, snake-like mountain path, a sizable group had appeared out of nowhere.

The caravan consisted mainly of mules and horses, numbering over a thousand, carrying goods of all sizes covered with tarpaulins.

The group also included several hundred people, most of whom were dressed in short-sleeved shirts suitable for hiking in the mountains and looked travel-worn.

They were clearly a caravan of horses traversing the mountains of southern China.

The roads in Nanzhou are treacherous and difficult for vehicles to travel on, so it is not uncommon for mule and horse caravans to be the main freight force in the area.

But what caught Liang Jin's eye was a familiar figure he saw in that group.

He was a dark-skinned, thin, and unremarkable man who blended into the crowd and was inconspicuously directing several mules.

"It's him?"

Liang Jin had an excellent memory; after a moment's thought, he remembered the name:
"Li Ba!"

This Li Ba is none other than the leader of the caravan that participated in the demon-slaying conference.

His presence in the caravan was perfectly reasonable.

"Since Li Ba is here, then..."

A thought struck Liang Jin, and he began to scan the ranks with his eyes.

Sure enough, before long, he saw several familiar faces who, despite being deliberately disguised and dressed differently, were still recognizable to Liang Jin.

These warriors were none other than members who had participated in the "Demon Extermination Conference"!

Finally, Liang Jin's gaze fell on the figure of an old man in the group who was wearing a wide-brimmed hat that obscured his face.

Despite his ordinary caravan attire and attempts to conceal his presence, Liang Jin was still able to confirm his identity with his unique physique and the occasional air of authority he exuded.

The Monk Beikong!

It's normal for these people to be disguised; the residents of the southern hinterland have always been xenophobic, especially hostile to the Daqian people.

To avoid a lot of trouble, this group of people had to disguise themselves as members of a caravan.

"It seems we really are destined to meet."

Liang Jin smiled slightly.

He changed his plan to fly directly to Tree City, and with a twist of his body, like a hawk, he silently glided towards the caravan on the mountain road below.

Having an acquaintance to guide you might save you a lot of trouble and allow you to gain a clearer understanding of the details of this tree city and that exotic treasure.

(End of this chapter)