Chapter 991: Divine Wood Matching Hero

Seeing Ji Yuan appear, all three were naturally very surprised and delighted, and Ji Yuan felt the same way.

Given Xiezhi's seemingly careless yet actually fair nature, Ji Yuan had helped him devour Zhuyan. Naturally, Xiezhi wanted to reciprocate. Helping Zuo Wuji was tantamount to helping Ji Yuan, so in the first few days, Xiezhi strenuously extracted most of Zhuyan's essence and gave it to Zuo Wuji, as Xiezhi himself had a greater need for true spirits.

Ji Yuan thought this portion of Zhuyan's essence was far too immense for Zuo Wuji and would require a long time to refine. However, upon seeing him today, there was surprisingly little residual Zhuyan aura, indicating that even if not fully refined, it had been absorbed and was under excellent control.

It was not unusual for warriors to cultivate on their own; in fact, the other warriors were also slowly progressing, let alone Jin Jia. However, Jin Jia's situation was somewhat beyond Ji Yuan's expectations.

"Chirp..."

The little paper crane emerged from the brocade pouch in Ji Yuan's embrace, chirped, and flew to Jin Jia's head, pecking his forehead twice. Jin Jia habitually looked up at the paper crane.

"Mr. Ji, we're eating roasted taro. Would you like some?"

Li Feng quickly displayed the hem of his tunic, which was gathered up to hold over a dozen roasted taro roots of similar size. One of them had already cracked open, revealing its soft, white, appealing flesh and releasing a rich, roasted aroma.

Ji Yuan inhaled the fragrance.

"Mmm, it smells good. I've just arrived and there's food already. What a lucky coincidence."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan flicked his sleeve, lightly sweeping over the demon corpse. The foul aura on it was instantly cleansed, ensuring that even if left unattended, the demonic remains would not produce miasma.

Zuo Wuji, even more direct, bowed to Ji Yuan, then went to the demon corpse's back. He struck it twice, shattering the scales, then thrust his right hand, shaped like a claw, into its back. With a tearing sound, he pulled out a long tendon glowing with a faint blue light. Though long, it wasn't particularly thick.

"This is the most essential part of this demon."

Of course, the remaining parts of such a demon corpse were quite valuable to some. Zuo Wuji left them for now, knowing that even if Ji Yuan hadn't purified the corpse, word would quickly spread, and plenty of people would come to collect them before any miasma could form.

Holding the bloody demon tendon, Zuo Wuji lightly shook his hand, shedding all the demon blood. With another shake, the tendon coiled itself into a bundle resembling a "rope" that glowed faintly blue.

"Mr. Ji, please, let's find another place to enjoy dinner!"

"Hmm, but we can eat in the sky. How about we go somewhere with me?"

Ji Yuan's words immediately piqued Zuo Wuji's and Li Feng's curiosity. Jin Jia, beside Ji Yuan, remained silent; as long as his esteemed master was present, he would simply follow orders.

"What kind of place?"

Zuo Wuji asked curiously, and Ji Yuan replied straightforwardly.

"A place that can help you better refine your martial arts. Are you interested, Great Hero Zuo?"

"Of course, I want to go to such a good place!"

Ji Yuan nodded, and clouds emerged under his feet, lifting everyone present into the sky. When he lifted the pair of mixed-gold hammers, Ji Yuan was surprised, as they were much heavier than he had imagined.

Only when the cloud of magic had ascended to the sky did Li Feng react, quickly setting down the roasted taro.

"Great Hero Zuo, Mr. Ji, Uncle Jin, eat some taro!"

"Uncle Jin?"

Ji Yuan couldn't help but glance at Jin Jia, then took the roasted taro offered by Li Feng. He gently peeled back the skin, revealing the steaming taro flesh. A pouch of salt and a pouch of sugar were spread out on the cloud, and they ate the taro with them—simple yet incredibly delicious.

The great formation where Mount Wuliang was located was close to Yunzhou. Even at Ji Yuan's current speed, it took over a month to reach the sea area above Mount Wuliang from the Southern Barrens.

Upon reaching deep beneath the sea and passing through the external restrictions, the few individuals within the Two-Phase Suspension Magnetic Array were instantly astonished by the sight before them.

They had thought the mountain was in the sky, but in reality, their bodies were inverted in the sky. The powerful gravity also made them extremely uncomfortable, though fortunately, even Li Feng could just barely endure it.

The magic cloud flew inverted for a while, then Ji Yuan cast a spell to turn it right side up, finally allowing everyone to escape that extremely peculiar visual state.

"This mountain is Mount Wuliang, also known as Two Realms Mountain."

"Mount Wuliang, Two Realms Mountain?"

Zuo Wuji muttered, while Li Feng complained endlessly.

"Mr. Ji, it's so tiring standing here. Even breathing is hard..."

"Yes, the gravity on Mount Wuliang is extraordinary. The higher you fly, the heavier your body feels. It will be better if we go lower. In fact, this is already after the Two-Phase Suspension Magnetic Array has reduced most of the gravity. If the array were to shut down, with your current martial arts, you'd be pressed to the ground, unable to lift your head."

Ji Yuan's words startled Li Feng, who quickly stuck out his tongue and muttered about needing to train harder in martial arts. Looking at the continuous mountain range and imagining the terrifying gravity Ji Yuan described, he voiced his doubts.

"Mr. Ji, I can somewhat imagine the meaning of Mount Wuliang. Since it's also called Two Realms Mountain, what does it divide? Can one reach another place by crossing this mountain?"

Ji Yuan shook his head.

"Two Realms Mountain has been here for countless ages. It will divide two realms not now, but in the future. Oh, look, Fellow Daoist Zhong is coming to meet us."

At that moment, Zhong Pingxiu was the only living person on Two Realms Mountain. As soon as Ji Yuan's magic cloud entered, Zhong Pingxiu sensed it.

"Mr. Ji, long time no see, your demeanor is as splendid as ever! This gentleman's martial fortune shines like a star; he must be Martial Saint Zuo!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhong, you're too kind. This is Zuo Wuji."

"Immortal Elder, you flatter me!"

Ji Yuan and Zuo Wuji returned the greetings one after another, and the magic cloud landed on one of Mount Wuliang's ridges.

"My name is Li Feng, and I'm learning martial arts from Great Hero Zuo and Uncle Jin!"

"Greetings, young friend!"

Zhong Pingxiu smiled and nodded at Li Feng, faintly discerning his circumstances. Then he glanced at Jin Jia, recognizing him as Ji Yuan's guardian general.

"General Jin, greetings!"

However, Jin Jia merely returned the gaze. Even with acquaintances, Jin Jia's reactions were usually subdued, let alone with Zhong Pingxiu, whom he barely knew.

"Fellow Daoist Zhong, I'd like Great Hero Zuo to cultivate here for a period. Furthermore, the wood still existing on your Mount Wuliang surpasses any metal or stone treasure. Could you perhaps spare a piece for Great Hero Zuo to use as a weapon?"

Ji Yuan spoke directly, and his words particularly caught Zuo Wuji's attention.

"Mr. Ji, Martial Saint has just arrived. Shouldn't he rest a bit to adapt to this mountain?"

"I don't think Martial Saint Zuo is tired, are you?"

Ji Yuan looked at Zuo Wuji, who simply bowed once more to Zhong Pingxiu.

"I hope for your guidance, Immortal Elder!"

Zhong Pingxiu nodded at Zuo Wuji and, without beating around the bush, pointed directly to a small dark spot on a distant, blurred mountain peak.

"I actually had a plan early on. There's a dead ancient tree on that peak, standing firm for many years, deeply rooted in Mount Wuliang. If it can be refined into a weapon, it would surpass any metal or iron in the world. If Martial Saint has the ability to pull up that tree, then I will give it to you as a weapon!"

Ji Yuan gazed into the distance, faintly sensing the ancient tree. It seemed to be intertwined with Mount Wuliang itself, making him instantly feel it would be difficult to uproot. He frowned and asked again.

"Are there no other trees? What if I were to help Great Hero Zuo sever this wood?"

Zhong Pingxiu looked at Zuo Wuji and smiled.

"Mr. Ji, your swordsmanship is unparalleled. Even if I cannot deal with that ancient tree, your sharp swordsmanship could undoubtedly cut it. However, if an immortal sword severs the wood, the tree's foundation would be completely destroyed. If it's pulled up by the roots, it won't disturb Mount Wuliang's stability, and you'll still obtain this divine wood."

Ji Yuan subconsciously glanced at Jin Jia beside him. In terms of strength, Zuo Wuji might not be able to compare to Jin Jia.

Unexpectedly, this ignited Zuo Wuji's fighting spirit.

"Good! I will try. If I need assistance from others, it can only mean I am unworthy of this wood!"

"Indeed, Mr. Ji, Martial Saint, please!"

Zhong Pingxiu took a step, and a cloud path extended beneath his feet. Ji Yuan and the others followed, quickly arriving at the peak of that mountain, where they saw the withered tree.

Compared to its title as a divine tree, it was not particularly thick—only about as wide as a man's arms could embrace—nor was it tall, with its main trunk barely a zhang, making it quite short. Yet, looking at its trunk, one felt an immense weight. Devoid of bark or leaves, it seemed as if carved by divine hands.

"Brother Jin, may I borrow your mixed-gold hammer?"

As Zuo Wuji spoke, Jin Jia naturally handed him one of the large hammers he constantly carried. Each hammer now weighed over two tons, yet Zuo Wuji took it with a single arm, grasping it steadily without even a tremor.

The next moment, Zuo Wuji suddenly swung the mixed-gold hammer.

"Hooah—"

"Whoosh...whoosh..." "CLANG—"

The mixed-gold hammer struck the tree trunk with immense force. The sound made Li Feng instinctively cover his ears, his body breaking out in goosebumps. Even Ji Yuan and Zhong Pingxiu subtly frowned.

Zuo Wuji's right arm felt slightly numb. He put down the hammer; the struck tree trunk remained completely still, without even a mark.

"Good wood!"

"Martial Saint, shaking this wood requires more than just brute force."

Zhong Pingxiu kindly reminded him that although the tree had long been dead, a spirit still resided within it.

At such close proximity, Ji Yuan also noticed this. He looked thoughtfully at the tree, then spoke with a laugh in his Daoist voice.

"This is the Immeasurable Divine Wood, standing on the mountain for countless ages. Only someone who can wield it as a weapon to traverse the cosmos is worthy of it."

Zuo Wuji slowly walked to the withered tree, then turned to look at Ji Yuan and Zhong Pingxiu.

"Mr. Ji, when you arrived, you mentioned that parts of this Suspension Magnetic Array could be turned off. Would it be convenient for me to use this place for body tempering?"

"I imagine that wouldn't be difficult for Fellow Daoist Zhong, would it?"

Ji Yuan's eyes lit up; he seemed to understand something and tossed the question to Zhong Pingxiu, who also realized his meaning.

"Of course. Is Martial Saint Zuo intending to...?"

"Please, Immortal Elder, release the restrictions and allow me to pull up this tree under Mount Wuliang's natural gravity. Otherwise, wouldn't it be an opportunistic shortcut for me!"

While others might be boasting when saying such words, Zuo Wuji's martial spirit was surging at that moment, his aura erupting, with the roar of dragons and tigers resounding within him. These were certainly no mere jests.

"Good! Mr. Ji, let's step back a bit."

Ji Yuan immediately pulled Li Feng, and together with Jin Jia, leaped backward, lightly retreating a hundred zhang. Zhong Pingxiu also moved back slightly, already forming a hand seal.

"Martial Saint Zuo, the gravity of Mount Wuliang is such that dust won't fly and feathers won't rise. Are you ready?"

"Please!"

Zhong Pingxiu smiled and unleashed his hand seal. The next moment, an invisible opening seemed to appear around the peak where Zuo Wuji stood.

A terrifying pressure instantly enveloped them, creating the illusion that the sky had suddenly collapsed. There was a faint tearing sensation, and each strand of hair felt like a heavy iron rod weighing on their heads.

A drop of sweat seeped from Zuo Wuji's chin and quickly fell, hitting the rock like an arrow shot from a bowstring.

"Good, good! Cultivating here will definitely yield twice the results with half the effort, hahahaha..."

Zuo Wuji took deep breaths of the heavy air, adjusted himself in mere moments, and then strode to the ancient tree.

"Mr. Ji and the Immortal Elder call you divine wood. Though you withered on this peak, standing for tens of thousands of years, you must surely be unwilling to fall. The world praises me and names me Martial Saint, a title I feel unworthy of. Yet, as a martial artist, who wouldn't aspire to such a name? I am no exception! If you are willing, please accompany me, and in the future, we shall conquer the world!"

These words were both a reasoned argument and Zuo Wuji's true feelings. Usually somewhat humble, he now displayed utter dominance, his martial spirit roaring ceaselessly, soaring into the sky.

The next moment, Zuo Wuji assumed a horse stance, embraced the ancient tree with both arms, and merged his martial destiny with his immense physical strength.

"Rise—"

Rumbling...

Zhong Pingxiu and Ji Yuan stared blankly at the scene on the nearby mountaintop. The former's expression was astonishment, while the latter, though surprised, maintained a calm gaze.

The surrounding peaks seemed to shake, and the ground on the mountaintop began to subtly bulge. They had expected Zuo Wuji to fail multiple times, but to their surprise, his very first attempt caused the ancient tree to loosen and the mountain to tremble.

Source: "The Chess Immortal"