In the space of the Stealing Heaven Tripod.

The black Undying Tree couldn't wait to stretch out its roots, wrapping around the corpses of the five Nascent Soul cultivators, and the essence of the Undying Tree originated from them.

The black Undying Tree grew a segment taller once again, its branches and leaves spreading out, and its black roots rapidly growing in all directions.

Seeing this, Yuan Ming waved his sleeve, causing two figures to fly out from behind the altar not far away. It was Yun Jiuxiao and Bing Xin, who were kept far away from the black Undying Tree.

The two sat cross-legged there, expressions wooden, oblivious to the outside world.

Yun Jiuxiao and Bing Xin, being weaker, would've merely rushed to their deaths on Penglai Immortal Island. When leaving the Time Cave earlier, Yuan Ming took the opportunity to control the two with an Illusion Technique and took them into the space of the Stealing Heaven Tripod.

This action was partly to protect them, and partly because Yuan Ming wanted to test something: whether being controlled by an Illusion Technique could generate Desire Power. Indeed, Desire Power was generated.

Yun Jiuxiao and Bing Xin, controlled by the Illusion Technique, prayed with unusual devotion, generating more Desire Power than on ordinary days.

The two were enveloped by Yuan Ming's Mana and set down near Xi Ying.

The black Undying Tree rapidly absorbed the five essences of the Undying Origin, growing several meters taller, and the Ju Mang Spirit Technique made considerable progress once again.

After absorbing the essence of the Undying Tree, the black Undying Tree continued to absorb the Qi-Blood Power within the bodies of the five.

Five Nascent Soul cultivators, even being corpses, had vast and boundless Qi-Blood Power; the black Undying Tree absorbed half for itself, and the other half was fed back to Yuan Ming in full.

Yuan Ming was not courteous, immediately activating the Shura Blood Devouring Map to refine it, and then he began to absorb it on the spot.

As the surging Qi/Blood Power flowed into him continuously, Yuan Ming frantically operated the Demon Image Prison Suppression Skill. His body surged with Qi-Blood, shrouded in a layer of dark red mist, his presence swelling uncontrollably.

In just half an hour, he reached the pinnacle of the Innate Body, only a step away from Breakthrough.

At the same time, within the black space, that mysterious voice sounded again, this time with a hint of solemnity.

"San Jue."

As the voice echoed, numerous light spots like fireflies emerged, illuminating the entire space and revealing its True Face.

This was a vast and open soluble cave space, with only a massive and towering black tree standing tall within.

The colossal trunk had a human face almost occupying half of the tree, with barely open eyes and countless wrinkles in the bark that made the face appear incredibly ancient.

The illuminating light of the space originated from the eyes of the human face.

Those sparkling lights seemed to be Spiritual Energy not fully absorbed.

The tree, lush and leafy, had numerous oval-shaped black cocoons hanging from its branches, which could roughly be divided into three layers from bottom to top.

In the lowest layer, there were the most cocoons, densely packed with at least a thousand, but nearly half of them had split open, leaving nothing inside.

The black cocoons in the middle layer were several times larger than those in the lowest layer, but there were only about a hundred of them, and only twenty or thirty had split.

At the very top, there were only three gigantic cocoons, each as large as a palace.

Perhaps because the face on the tree's bark had opened its eyes, the giant cocoon on the far left suddenly began to shake, and fiery flames spurted out from the vines' interwoven gaps.

The heat wave surrounding the flames alone was enough to melt metal in an instant.

Yet, when the orange flames fell on the branches and leaves, they merely shook slightly without leaving any burn marks.

At the same time, in response to the call of the black tree, the vines of the giant cocoon on the far right began to crackle crisply. They quickly split open, and an elder with eyes tightly shut fell out.

The elder, with his unkempt gray hair and a bulbous red nose as if he had drunk too much, had likewise flushed cheeks, appearing inebriated.

Falling from the cocoon without any reaction, it was not until he hit the ground with a 'bang' that he sleepily opened his eyes, staggered to his feet, unscrewed his hip flask, and poured a mouthful of wine into himself.

"Belch—"

Accompanied by a loud burp, the elder's aura surged dramatically, stepping past the Nascent Soul stage, even reaching the Returning to Void Realm.

"What a rarity, it seems the old Undying Tree Demon still has times when it calls me out," mumbled San Jue as he staggered over to the roots of the tree, leaning on the trunk with his elbow, continuing to pour wine into his mouth as he spoke.

"Some more people have come outside; they need you to handle it. You must stop them from getting close to this place at all costs," said the Undying Tree Demon without chastising the elder for his disrespectful words, speaking slowly.

"Ah, so the opponents are that troublesome this time? We just caught a batch, and now more have come? It's one thing to send me, but you're actually telling me to do it at all costs?" San Jue's sleepy eyes opened a bit wider, seemingly invigorated.

"Among those who have come this time, there are even those in the Returning to Void Realm. I am at a critical moment and cannot afford any mistakes," declared the Undying Tree Demon.

"Oh? It's only been so many years, and yet another has reached the Returning Void? Interesting, I'd really like to meet them," said San Jue, briefly glancing at the black cocoon on the top left.

"Then go. Take these hands with you and don't disappoint me."

As the Undying Tree Demon spoke, fifteen cocoons from the second layer started to crack, and fifteen Nascent Soul Green-Black Tree People fell out. After standing up, they woodenly followed behind San Jue.

San Jue responded with an acknowledgment, took another sip of wine, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve before staggering off, leading a group of Nascent Soul Tree People to disappear into the depths of the Soluble Cave.

The Undead Tree Demon fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, "Bring the people in."

As soon as these words were spoken, several Nascent Soul Stage Tree People brought Queen Ming Kong and her two companions before the Undead Tree Demon.

Queen Ming Kong and the brawny man of the Water Ape Clan had a waning aura and showed a hint of fear in their eyes upon seeing the Undead Tree Demon.

Meanwhile, White Scale Master showed an excited expression and knelt directly before the Undead Tree Demon, folding his hands in salute and saying,

"Elder of the Undying Immortal Tree, these two are gifts that I present to you, hoping only that you will bestow upon me the chance for immortality. White Scale is willing to be at your disposal, to go through fire and water, and refuse no task."

"Heh, you certainly know how to please," the deep voice of the Undead Tree Demon reverberated.

Despite their fear of the Undead Tree Demon's power, the deep resentment Queen Ming Kong and her companion harbored towards White Scale Master's shameless words ignited a fire in their eyes, wishing they could flay him thousands of times over to alleviate the hatred in their hearts.

However, in front of the Undead Tree Demon, their rage ultimately found no outlet.

"Since you are willing to submit, I am accepting like the vast ocean and will naturally take you in, but before that, I have a question for you," said the Undead Tree Demon.

"Whatever you wish to ask, I will tell all I know," White Scale Master said obsequiously.

"When you hid in the Time Cave, I planted a Black Tree of Undying close to its entrance. Who destroyed this tree?" the Undead Tree Demon asked.

"A Black Undying Tree? I was too flustered when I entered the Time Cave earlier and did not notice such a tree," White Scale Master said after careful recollection, his voice tinged with fear.

"What about you? If you can answer this question for me, I will certainly not treat you unfairly," the Undead Tree Demon turned to Queen Ming Kong and the brawny man of the Water Ape Clan.

Queen Ming Kong and the brawny man of the Water Ape Clan were equally ignorant and pale, unable to utter a word.

"Useless trash." The Undead Tree Demon snorted coldly as three tendrils, thick as arms, suddenly descended and penetrated the flesh of White Scale Master and the other two.

An eerie force emanated from the tendrils, spreading into the trio's Nascent Souls, taking root and sprouting within them, and transforming their minds from the inside out.

This process was not quick, so the three of them could acutely feel their own changes.

A moment of hesitation flickered in White Scale Master's eyes, then he relaxed his mind, submitting to the influence of the Undead Tree's power.

Queen Ming Kong and the brawny man from the Water Ape Clan, however, were fraught with horror and unease, desperately trying to shake off this power's grip, but with their Mana and Divine Souls being restrained, they were powerless to resist the corrosion from the Undead Tree Demon and their minds were gradually subjugated.

The tendrils spread quickly, soon enveloping the three in a dark cocoon, which hung in the second layer of the Undying Tree.

Despair gripped the hearts of both from Queen Ming Kong's group, but unwilling to give up, they continued to resist the Undying Tree's influence, and simultaneously, they each invoked the name of the Nether Moon God in their hearts, praying for the power to save themselves.

…

Within the Stealing Heaven Tripod, Yuan Ming was savoring the advancement of the Demon Image Prison Suppression Skill, feeling the prayers from Queen Ming Kong and her companion, and showed a look of surprise.

He closed his eyes and sensed their location, finding it to be within the White Round Moon. His expression quickly turned joyous, and he reached out with his branches to touch the White Jade Lotus Platform.

Yuan Ming's Soul Power improved greatly and, riding on Queen Ming Kong's anchoring Desire Power, he descended into the Soluble Cave.

His Divine Soul Power, fortified by the Stealing Heaven Tripod, escaped everyone's notice, even the Undead Tree Demon remained unaware that there was now another person covertly observing within the Soluble Cave.

Yuan Ming's gaze shifted; the true form of the Undead Tree Demon indeed resided within the White Round Moon.

His expression turned serious; the terrifying aura emanating from the Undead Tree Demon instilled a silent dread in him, but even more concerning were the black cocoons hanging from the treetops.

The number of Tree-man Puppets controlled by the Undead Tree Demon greatly exceeded his expectations.

Yuan Ming steadied his mind and dispersed his Divine Sense to carefully inspect the Soluble Cave, soon discovering a burning black cocoon.

The aura of flames within the cocoon resembled that of the Jin Chao Clone yet far surpassed it, it must be the Level 5 Golden Crow from Fusang Island; unexpectedly, it too had been captured and did not seem to have been subdued yet.

Golden Cloud Fairy was also enveloped in a black cocoon, hanging from the tree near Queen Ming Kong's group.

Judging by the aura, she had not been subdued either, though Golden Cloud Fairy's current state seemed off, trapped in a slumber with fluctuating breath.

Having surveyed all the black cocoons on the Undead Tree Demon, Yuan Ming expanded his Divine Sense to envelop the whole White Round Moon, his expression turning to one of surprise.

The White Round Moon turned out to be a vast spherical Barrier, suspended in mid-air. Within the Barrier, a world unfolded, comparable to a minor Secret Realm. The Undead Tree Demon's Soluble Cave was located underground, while above there lay a city complete with a gate inscribed with three big characters: Guanghan City.

Buildings as unique as the halls of the starry sky rose within the city, channeling Star Power.

Whether because of the Undead Tree Demon or the numerous buildings within Guanghan City, the concentration of nature's Spiritual Energy within the White Barrier was exceptionally rich, far superior to Penglai Immortal Island.

While Yuan Ming was observing, he did not forget to respond to the prayers from Queen Ming Kong and her companion.

He might not know the exact method the Undead Tree Demon was using to reshape their minds, but Yuan Ming sensed that the unnamed power was subtly similar to Soul Power.

Realizing this, he immediately activated his Soul Power and stealthily entered Queen Ming Kong and her companion's bodies, stabilizing their Nascent Souls, aiding them against the encroachment and transformation of that mysterious force.

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