Chapter 170: Lost Realm (1)

This time it wasn't just a flash of light passing over and shifting space; instead, a light gate appeared before him, obviously waiting for Wang Ping to step into it.

Is this an improvement in treatment?

Wang Ping restrained his Dao intent, stepped into the light gate with a smile at the corner of his mouth; beyond the gate lay a green hall cast from unknown metal.

The hall was clearly spacious and silent, yet it gave a feeling of lush greenness; he saw many green pillars supporting the hall around him, and looking up, it seemed extremely high, its top beyond sight.

He withdrew his upward gaze and looked toward the depths of the hall, where a cluster of green light seemed to be, but from this spot he could not make out its details; scanning the surroundings, aside from ahead, the depths of the other three directions were pure darkness.

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Wang Ping's footsteps sounded especially clear in the spacious hall; after walking for about a quarter of an hour, he finally reached the spot where the light cluster was.

It was an extremely tall and sturdy cyan‑green tree, its branches lush and leaves abundant, coiling like a dragon.

Was a hall built for a single tree?

Wang Ping thought it strange, yet the tree was indeed extraordinary—each green leaf was bright, crystalline, like the finest jade in the world.

Amid the dense layers of emerald leaves, fruit seemed to be present, but with the leaves and green light, Wang Ping could not see it clearly.

As he continued forward, the Qingdi Changsheng Gong within him spontaneously activated, and a wisp of wood energy drifted from the tree toward him.

This change somewhat exceeded Wang Ping's expectations; he directly used his will to stop the Qingdi Changsheng Gong from operating.

"Heh! Good self‑control, little one—don't be nervous; this wisp of wood energy will work well for condensing your body‑protecting spirit armor."

A voice suddenly rang out in the empty hall!

Wang Ping's expression remained calm; looking at the cyan‑green tree ahead, he said respectfully with a hint of firmness, "Junior feels it's better to be cautious."

"Hehe, interesting little fellow!"

Suddenly, an old man in a green robe appeared at the base of the cyan‑green tree, sitting cross‑wise and motionless as if he had not moved for ages.

"Young man! Come over here! Keep me company with a chat—I don't know how many years it's been; aside from that Qingdi fellow, no one can keep me company anymore!"

The old man had green hair and beard; his eyes were like the most perfect green gem in the world, their gaze gentle yet revealing a trace of ancient vicissitude, yet his look was utterly pure, like a newborn's, without any impurity.

The obvious contrasts of age‑worn and youthful aura on him blended perfectly!

Wang Ping stepped onto the steps before him; within three zhang of the tree, life force filled the air, and with his current cultivation, a single breath left him feeling his qi and blood much stronger, his physique somewhat sturdier.

"Senior!"

Wang Ping bowed, then sat opposite the old man.

"Young man, don't you have anything you want to ask?" the old man asked.

"I have many doubts, but I don't know where to start!" Wang Ping replied calmly.

"Then keep these doubts in your heart, experience them slowly; after much experience, many things will become clear!" the old man said with a chuckle.

"To reach this place, you deserve an opportunity! I am the Undying Old Man, a wisp of spirit consciousness condensed from the Chaos Spiritual Root Undying Tree; I established the Undying Realm to select outstanding youths to inherit the tree's legacy—but so far they have all failed."

Wang Ping's gaze involuntarily turned to the tree behind the old man; he had long noticed that this cyan‑green tree's pattern closely resembled the strange green grassland layout he had seen in the barren lands.

It turns out this tree's name is the Undying Tree, and it is also the Chaos Spiritual Root!

"Senior, you just mentioned Qingdi!" Wang Ping suddenly asked a question unrelated to the previous topic.

The old man blinked slightly, feeling that the young man before him had an odd train of thought; upon hearing terms like Chaos Spiritual Root and Undying Tree, shouldn't he be extremely interested?

However, he didn't mind it; it was only a slight difference, so he continued: "Not bad—Qingdi is a title given to him by his peers when he later entered the Great Vehicle; his birth name was Zhang Dafu, he disliked how his name sounded and changed it to Zhang Yang, and after earning the title Qingdi, he has always had people call him Qingdi."

Zhang Dafu!

Hahahaha!

Wang Ping's face twitched uncontrollably—such a lofty Qingdi actually bore that name! If the cultivators of the Spirit Realm knew this, it would be hilarious!

Although the name isn't funny, it depends on who bears it.

The old man watched Wang Ping struggle not to laugh, inwardly pleased—let you pretend to be mature, now you've slipped up! In his self‑satisfaction, he completely forgot the promise he had made to Qingdi not to reveal what was just said.

"Cough! Senior, did Qingdi also receive the Undying Tree's Dao inheritance?" Wang Ping hurriedly changed the subject.

"Heh! Of course—otherwise how could he have created the Qingdi Changsheng Gong? But now he has vanished, this technique is lost; where did you learn it from?"

The old man was also quite curious.

Wang Ping's heart stirred—the old man before him actually didn't know his own origin; he recalled Liu Haodong saying the genuine Qingdi Changsheng Gong had been lost, and the old man here said the same, so why could his world cultivate such a technique?

For some reason, a shadow fell upon Wang Ping's heart.

He felt that the Spirit Realm he inhabited seemed to conceal a profound secret!

"Then, Senior, do you think Qingdi might fall?" Wang Ping asked solemnly.

The old man chuckled: "Other emperors may fall, I believe, but that Qingdi brat—I don't believe it; he's a crafty, wicked‑hearted schemer, who could plot against him to make him fall? Still, suffering heavy wounds is certain! Maybe he's hiding in some corner nursing his injuries right now!"

After speaking, the old man's gaze suddenly turned to Wang Ping, his face showing curiosity, and he said: "Strange—I actually don't know your origin, and you somehow possess the lost Qingdi Changsheng Gong; even though the Land of Reincarnation hasn't opened, you've managed to enter—you're quite odd, let me examine your background."

The old man's eyes suddenly shot two beams of light at Wang Ping; his heart jumped, he wanted to dodge, but his body couldn't move—fortunately he sensed the old man meant no harm, so he calmed down.

In the depths of the old man's gaze, Wang Ping's recent experiences unfolded one by one,

these scenes the old man ignored directly, until Wang Ping abruptly appeared on the ancient battlefield, where his expression twitched slightly.

Finally, his gaze seemed to pierce the barriers of time and space, arriving upon a vast plain; his expression finally changed, and he looked outward toward the great, astonishing brown‑yellow land beyond the grassland.

In Wang Ping's view the barren land showed nothing unusual, but in the old man's eyes it was covered with countless dense runes.

His gaze turned to the depths of the runes, where a skull lay.

At this point he could no longer hold back and exclaimed: "A lost realm!"