Xuantian Immortal Cultivation Record

Du Xiangyuan was now suspended in mid-air, with two jade-green branches behind him, inserted into his calves, seemingly connected to his flesh.

Previously, in that hall, whether he was sitting or standing, there was nothing unusual. Zhang Yuanjing didn't notice anything amiss either, presumably because the stone chair he was sitting on had some mysteries.

When Foundation Establishment cultivators are nearing the end of their lifespan, they refine their bodies into tree spirits to temporarily extend their lives. This is a heretical technique, and Zhang Yuanjing had seen records of it in the sect's books. However, this was the first time he had witnessed it firsthand.

Spirits and monsters are rare, but in this vast world, as long as one searches widely, they can be found. Secret techniques are hard to come by, but with enough spirit stones, they can be exchanged for in the immortal cities of some large or medium-sized sects. The key is whether one has the courage to do so.

Refining the body into wood, if unsuccessful, results in becoming food for the tree spirit, with no remains left. If successful, it only grants temporary immortality. If one cannot condense a spiritual soul, they still cannot break through to Core Formation, and they must resist the tree spirit's devouring every day.

Even if blessed with luck and a successful breakthrough, one cannot escape the plant, because the physical body has grown together with the plant. For the rest of their life, they can only be trapped in one place, enduring the long years.

This person dared to try, it is unknown whether it is out of ignorance or fearlessness.

Du Xiangyuan's aura soared, his body also strengthened, his facial wrinkles quickly smoothed out, and his face became rosy and radiant.

A look of suspicion flashed in his eyes, and he coldly asked: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, are you not surprised at all to see me like this? Back then, Zhao Guangnai was quite uneasy, and almost begged me to spare his life!"

Zhang Yuanjing didn't believe his words at all. This tree spirit's aura was only at the Demon Core realm. Even relying on the terrain, it was only equivalent to a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

What kind of person was Zhao Guangnai? He was also in the late stage of Core Formation. At most, he felt that dealing with this tree spirit was troublesome and not very beneficial, so he was unwilling to take action, but he would not fear it.

He snorted disdainfully: "It's just a tree spirit, growing to the Demon Core realm by relying on a mutated spiritual vein, what's so surprising!"

He had even seen grass spirits in the Nascent Soul realm, so he naturally didn't care about this Demon Core realm tree spirit. Of course, in terms of strength, he was definitely not this tree spirit's opponent, but he had something to rely on and was not afraid. Not only was he not afraid, but he also wanted to snatch an opportunity from the tiger's mouth.

"It seems that Fellow Daoist Zhang has a strong backer? No wonder you've been talking so much nonsense with me!" Du Xiangyuan said gloomily, "However, you're going to be disappointed. Even if your reinforcements come, they won't be able to get down here for a while. By the time they arrive, I will have already devoured you and advanced to Pseudo-Core! Hahaha!"

Zhang Yuanjing sneered: "So, when Fellow Daoist said that my arrival at Whiteleave Mountain was your great fortune, that's what you meant. It seems that I have been misunderstanding all along!"

Du Xiangyuan moved slightly, and the tree spirit's branches quickly darted out. In an instant, there were more than a dozen branches, like ribbons, wrapping towards Zhang Yuanjing.

But he slowly and methodically said: "I am trapped here, facing the tree spirit's devouring every day, it is truly unbearable. But, that is nothing. What I worry about is not being able to break through and form a core.

"Alas, in the past, those who came were only Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators. Even if the tree spirit ate them, it wouldn't replenish much essence. Zhao Guangnai came once, but unfortunately, he was too strong. After weighing it again and again, I didn't dare to act, so I had to let him leave.

"After waiting bitterly for decades, Fellow Daoist Zhang has finally arrived again, which shows that my life should not end, and I am destined to become a Core Formation cultivator! Haha, haha, hahaha!"

Faced with the aggressive and net-like branches falling down, Zhang Yuanjing didn't care. He casually touched his storage bracelet, and the high-grade defensive magic weapon, the Truth-Stabilizing Disk, leaped out with a "whoosh", suspended above his head, releasing a powerful aura, fixing all the branches that stretched out in place.

The tree spirit trembled its trunk and tried to pull back with all its might, but the fixed branches remained motionless.

After ten years of cultivation in Mistspirit Mountain, Zhang Yuanjing's mana was now much stronger than when he first entered Core Formation, and he could control the Truth-Stabilizing Disk more easily.

Of course, using this high-grade defensive magic weapon was still a great burden for him. Although he seemed calm and collected, in reality, the mana in his dantian was rapidly depleting, and he couldn't last much longer.

He pretended to be relaxed and said indifferently: "I am a little curious, Fellow Daoist Du was only at the Foundation Establishment stage back then, how were you able to refine yourself into a tree spirit that had a Core Formation realm from birth?"

Du Xiangyuan's expression was solemn, and he felt an unfathomable sense from Zhang Yuanjing, and he became a little hesitant.

After all, he was just a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even if he had fought against Zhao Guangnai, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, in the past, it was only because the other party was afraid and left on his own. He had no direct experience of the methods of Core Formation cultivators.

Now, seeing Zhang Yuanjing's nonchalant appearance, he couldn't help but wonder if the other party had some powerful backup that could not be afraid of his tree spirit.

He wanted to see how long Zhang Yuanjing could last by only defending and not attacking, so while driving more branches, he said half-truthfully: "Although the tree spirit is strong, it is just a tree after all. Originally, it had no intelligence, but it was blessed by heaven and earth's luck, so it could give birth to a little spiritual sense, know how to absorb spiritual power, and cultivate itself. That's how it became a tree spirit.

"With its little intelligence, how could it recognize my methods? Find some Savage Blood and Spirit Awakening realm demons, feed them some medicinal powder that blocks the operation of qi, and throw them into the mountain. Wouldn't the tree spirit be subdued after eating them!"

Zhang Yuanjing clapped his hands and laughed: "Fellow Daoist is truly outstanding in wisdom and strategy. This trick seems ordinary, but it is not easy to think of and actually implement it. At least I don't know what medicinal powder can block the tree spirit's qi operation without causing abnormalities in the demon's body. I think, if the demons you throw down are all sickly, this tree spirit will not be stupid enough to devour them, right!"

Du Xiangyuan snorted coldly: "This is just an opportunity I obtained in my early years, it's actually not very useful, it just happens to be able to deal with the tree spirit."

Zhang Yuanjing was chatting idly with Du Xiangyuan here, but his spiritual sense had already extended along this big tree towards its roots.

His divine soul was stronger than that of ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivators, and he could drill into the ground to a depth of one hundred and forty to fifty zhang.

The tree spirit's root system was very developed. The main root entered the ground to a depth of more than one hundred and twenty zhang, and the divided root hairs were deeply rooted in the ground, extending to the spiritual vein below.

However, Zhang Yuanjing didn't need to find those root hairs, he only needed to reach all the main roots.

"I am very curious, why is Fellow Daoist so sure that if the tree spirit devours me, you can break through to Pseudo-Core! Spiritual souls cannot be piled up with essence!"

While speaking, Du Xiangyuan was not soft-handed at all, urging more and stronger branches to attack Zhang Yuanjing, but they were all firmly fixed by the Truth-Stabilizing Disk, and Zhang Yuanjing's mana consumption became more and more severe. He was still calm, asking seemingly painless questions in his mouth.

"I have my own way, so I don't need Fellow Daoist Zhang to worry about it!"

Du Xiangyuan replied coldly, frowning, feeling that the Core Formation cultivator in front of him was like a bottomless pit, and he couldn't test out the truth.

He was a little unwilling. He had waited a full fifty years before finally waiting for such an early-stage Core Formation cultivator. He didn't want to wait any longer, and he couldn't wait any longer.

In these years, he had relied on the virgins supplied by the Great Qian Kingdom to survive. If this continued, he would go crazy sooner or later, and he would become nourishment for this tree spirit sooner or later.

He became ruthless, urging the restriction placed in the root of the tree spirit, releasing a little essence, and manipulating more and stronger branches to stab Zhang Yuanjing.