Chapter 396: Robot?

Just as he was sensing the energy, a small Qian Kun bag flew out of his waist pouch, and then a green hat leapt out of the bag—it was the Green Wood Crown that the Great Luo Golden Immortal Giant Tree had given him.

This Green Wood Crown is woven from a young Purple Bamboo seedling from the Azure Emperor Purple Bamboo Hall; Purple Bamboo is one of the four famous sacred trees of the myriad heavens, extremely precious. A Green Wood Crown woven from Purple Bamboo is a natural celestial artifact that greatly aids wood‑root cultivators, calming the mind and also absorbing surrounding wood‑type essence.

Unfortunately, Wei Yuning disliked its green color and never put it on his head.

Just as he was puzzled, the Green Wood Crown flew straight into the light shield. For a moment the interior of the shield was hazy, green mist enveloped everything, and nothing inside could be seen.

Wei Yuning's eyes widened as he stared intently at the interior, wanting to know what was happening.

After about half a incense stick's worth of time, the image finally began to clear slowly.

The fruit turned a thorough yellow‑orange, plump and tender, and a faint, distant fruity fragrance drifted in.

Wei Yuning inhaled sharply; a richer fruit scent filled the depths of his nostrils, refreshing his spirit. His whole body felt so comfortable it seemed to float; he wanted another breath, when suddenly his divine consciousness exploded.

Just before his awareness vanished, he clearly saw three golden‑glowing large characters flashing on the fruit, then disappearing.

"…Yellow…Middle…"

He didn't know how long had passed, but Wei Yuning awoke again.

He found his body had changed—light and buoyant, yet if he wished it could become heavy and solid. An extremely clear, permeating sensation filled him, and every part of his body obeyed his control, like moving his fingers with his arm.

His cultivation level remained the same, Mid‑Spirit‑Out Phase, but he felt vastly different; even when facing Eight‑Armed beings, Nether Fire, and Giant Trees from the celestial realm, he felt no trace of fear.

Green leaves and branches of a withered tree sprouted above his head; he lay near the roots of that dead tree.

Tilting his head, he saw the Abyssal vines not far away; one vine looked up at Wei Yuning, then turned away as if afraid to meet him.

Wei Yuning stood up, startled; a few steps away a small tree with lotus‑like leaves, emerald and dripping with dew, had grown. What made Wei Yuning's face change dramatically was that the tree emitted a faint fragrance—the same as that fruit's.

"We're doomed; the fruit didn't even get a chance to be eaten, and it's already turned into a sapling? If the sapling has to bear fruit, we'll be waiting for ages!"

Wei Yuning lifted his head, breathed a little easier; the remaining eleven fruits were still there.

"Next time I must use a foolproof method; I can't let the fruit run away again! This time I really lost big, wasted a Green Wood Crown, and only got one breath out of it."

Leaving this area, Wei Yuning returned to the Xian Shu Sect Leader's bamboo house.

Seeing Wei Yuning back, Xian Shu hurried: "You finally returned. Divine Turtle Lord contacted me; knowing you were absent, he didn't dare send Snow Dada out. He waited for you to decide! Now Snow Dada is very displeased on Bi Yi Island and is throwing a tantrum!"

"How long was I there?" Wei Yuning asked.

"Seven days! I called you but you ignored me, fearing you were training, so I stopped bothering you!" Xian Shu said.

Wei Yuning exhaled; it wasn't too late—if he had taken Snow Dada to Green Forest Guard City, the latter would have erupted then!

"Alright, I'll first go out and make the Immortal Shuttle stop, then let Snow Dada emerge!" After speaking, Wei Yuning patted Xian Shu's body and vanished.

With Wei Yuning overseeing the situation, the Xian Shu Sect Leader finally relaxed. Snow Dada is at the Tribulation‑Crossing realm, powerful; if he truly caused trouble, no one on Bi Yi Island could restrain him, not even Divine Turtle Lord.

"That's odd, why am I so confident in the Guard City Master? I recall… he might only be at the Nascent Soul stage!" Xian Shu stroked his beard, puzzled.

He sat cross‑legged and resumed cultivation; lately he felt his realm becoming increasingly fluid.

Just as he circulated the internal spirit energy, he suddenly sensed a strange energy at his shoulder—though small, it was extremely condensed. He recalled that just now the Guard City Master had patted there.

A strange hue spread across the Xian Shu Sect Leader's face; after hesitating, he gritted his teeth and muttered, "Wei Zhuang's cultivation speed is astonishing; there must be some secret. The energy he unintentionally left behind might benefit my cultivation!"

He extended his divine consciousness, enveloped that energy, and sent it into the circulating pathways of his body.

Time passed slowly, and the Xian Shu Sect Leader's complexion grew increasingly astonished.

"I've seen plenty of wood‑type essence, but never something this potent!" Xian Shu exclaimed excitedly. Under the impact of this energy, previously unreachable meridians burst open, and the wood‑type energy also nourished his body; although his cultivation surged, it remained extremely stable.

One great cycle concluded, Xian Shu felt his whole body relax; suddenly his divine consciousness moved, and the previously loosened realm instantly opened, tightening his connection with heaven and earth.

"I've successfully established the Foundation!" Xian Shu shouted ecstatically.

Inside the Immortal Shuttle's chamber.

Wei Yuning appeared and immediately met Monk Cheng Xin.

Even the usually composed Cheng Xin showed a hint of anxiety.

"How's the situation?" Wei Yuning asked directly.

"I ordered the Immortal Shuttle to stop; this is a small teleport point with a few supply stations. They're wandering around, though I've urged them several times!" Cheng Xin said gravely. "Actually it's not their fault; the cultivators here are battling a strange race. They fear the teleport point will be cut off; if that happens, we'll have to travel the starry sky again!"

Hearing this, Wei Yuning grew tense and curiously asked, "A strange race—what does that mean? Is it the Dark Clan?"

Monk Cheng Xin shook his head: "No, but whether they're backed by the Dark Clan is unclear. This race isn't a living being; it's not even an Abyssal or White‑Fur race. They're all a bunch of metal‑composed monsters!"

"Metal monsters? Do you mean they're elemental beings?" Wei Yuning asked.

"Of course not; their bodies aren't just metal, they have all sorts of odd lines, completely different from metallic elemental beings. In short, very strange. There's a captured metal monster right here at this teleport point; you can go see!" Cheng Xin sighed, shaking his head.

"What? You said they have lines?" Wei Yuning was stunned. "No way—are they robots? Technological civilization?"

"Robots? Which race is that?" Monk Cheng Xin asked curiously.

Wei Yuning gave a weird smile and said, "They're not human? Neither is that right; it depends on whether they're clever or not!"