Chapter 326: A Journey to the Manghuang Ancient Region

Central Plains, Manghuang Ancient Region.

As a notoriously dangerous place in the Central Plains, the Manghuang Ancient Region is devoid of human presence year-round; the only liveliness comes from the roars of ferocious beasts and the sounds of their battles with one another.

However, an uninvited guest appeared in the Manghuang Ancient Region today.

"Swish!"

A figure in white stood casually above the void, looking at the scene below and rubbing their chin.

"Manghuang Ancient Region, is the Bodhi Ancient Tree actually here?"

"Since Teacher said so, there shouldn't be any problem."

This young man was none other than Xiao Wu, who had been sent out by Xiao Han to search for the Bodhi Ancient Tree.

The location and timing of the Bodhi Ancient Tree's appearance are never fixed; only after it manifests can the world discover it by chance in some location.

Perhaps the intelligence regarding the Bodhi Ancient Tree has not yet spread, but many well-informed forces in the Central Plains are basically aware of it, and Langya Pavilion is no exception.

All the forces in the Central Plains are extremely covetous of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, which can allow one to become a Saint on the spot.

They have all prepared to send elite Disciples and experts from their own sects and families to compete for it; even if there is no hope of obtaining the legendary Bodhi Heart, obtaining one or two Bodhi Seeds would be a wonderful thing.

But what no one ever expected was...

Langya Pavilion is playing dirty; there is someone here who jumped the gun!

Other forces would at most send a Peak Dou Venerate at the very top, yet Xiao Han sent out his own Dou Saint Disciple, and furthermore, he took a step ahead; while others were still preparing, Xiao Wu had already arrived near the area where the Bodhi Ancient Tree was located.

Not asking to get the Bodhi Heart, taking a few more Bodhi Seeds shouldn't be too much, right? The yield of this thing isn't fixed, so no one will notice if a few are missing.

For other forces, perhaps Bodhi Seeds only increase the hope of advancing to Half-Saint, but for Langya Pavilion, they are keys that guarantee a path to Dou Saint.

"Not right!" Just as Xiao Wu was preparing to go deeper, their eyes suddenly sharpened, and cold sweat dripped from their forehead.

"Could it be the Bodhi Ancient Tree?" Xiao Wu pondered to himself.

A moment ago, they had suddenly sensed a terrifying aura, mixed with a hint of evil within its purity; facing the master of this aura, Xiao Wu admitted they were far inferior.

Thinking this, Xiao Wu withdrew the step they were about to take; the moment they retreated outside the boundary, they felt the aura that had been shrouding them suddenly vanish without a trace.

The sudden turn of events made Xiao Wu let out a long sigh of relief. "Forget it, I'm afraid I can't get in this time."

Taking a deep look at the unique thousand-foot giant tree at the end of their vision, Xiao Wu stepped into a spatial rift.

As the space slowly closed, a figure wrapped in a black robe appeared under the Bodhi Ancient Tree in the distance, silently watching the place where Xiao Wu had departed, and said in a slightly grave voice:

"It seems this place cannot be stayed in for long either!"

Immediately, they turned their gaze toward the giant tree beside them. "Since that is the case, let you serve your final value."

The black-robed person stretched out both hands and traced strange hand seals in the air.

"Chi!"

A seal emitting a faint purple hue merged into the body of the Bodhi tree; countless hair-raising pitch-black patterns rapidly spread over the entire ancient tree, and the soil for a thousand miles around also turned pitch-black, before returning to its original state the next instant.

………

Langya Pavilion.

"You mean the Bodhi Ancient Tree wouldn't let you pass?" Xiao Han asked, frowning as he looked at the Disciple before him.

"Yes!" Xiao Wu nodded, also looking suspicious as they said:

"My strength seems to have exceeded the limit that the Bodhi Ancient Tree can tolerate; as soon as I approached within a hundred miles, I was immediately met with its deterrence."

"Moreover, I am not its match, so I did not force my way in."

Xiao Han mused: "This Bodhi Ancient Tree is really quite troublesome!"

In his view, this time it was perhaps the Bodhi Ancient Tree instinctively sensing the threat of Xiao Wu and driving them away.

This also meant that it is impossible for a Dou Saint's strength to approach the other party; the only method Langya Pavilion can adopt is to follow the main force into the Manghuang Ancient Region.

"Xian'er hasn't broken through to Half-Saint yet, right?" Xiao Han raised his head and asked.

"This I..." Xiao Wu was about to say they were unsure, but caught a glimpse of Xiao Han's unkind gaze and changed their tone.

"No!"

Xiao Wu looked around and said: "It will take a few more months; currently, she is only at Nine-Turn Dou Zun Peak."

"Tell Xian'er to suppress her strength for now, delay the breakthrough, and take a trip to the Manghuang Ancient Region in two months."

Xiao Wu hesitated and pointed at themselves: "Me?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Xiao Han said irritably: "Do I need to say what the relationship between you two is?"

"Get lost quickly!" Xiao Han waved his hand impatiently.

"Oh!" Xiao Wu responded, and then their figure turned into snowflakes and scattered.

"This kid's use of movement techniques is not bad!" Xiao Han glanced at the water stains on the ground and evaluated.

Over the next two months, the news of the Bodhi Ancient Tree appearing in the Manghuang Ancient Region quietly spread throughout the entire Central Plains; given the great fame of the Bodhi Ancient Tree allowing one to become a Saint on the spot, everyone discussed it endlessly.

Heavenly Mansion, inside Starfall Pavilion.

"Bodhi Ancient Tree, become a Saint on the spot..." Yao Lao's eyes revealed anticipation. "How can one miss this once-in-a-millennium opportunity of the Bodhi Ancient Tree."

"Teacher!"

Hearing the voice from behind, Yao Lao turned around with a smile. "This time, I will leave our Starfall Pavilion to you."

"Starfall Pavilion?" Xiao Yan muttered in confusion at this name, which was rarely used now.

Yao Lao said with a chuckle: "On the surface, our Heavenly Mansion Alliance is one body, but it is only a temporary product that appeared to resist the Soul Hall; to truly merge together, it requires a large amount of time for integration."

"Therefore, in order not to hurt our harmony when the time comes, we have all agreed that each of us will rely on our own abilities to get what we can!"

Then, Yao Lao changed his tone: "However, if you encounter enemies, you also need to act as one against the outside."

"Do you understand?"

Xiao Yan nodded and smiled faintly: "Teacher, rest assured, this Disciple has a sense of proportion."

"Mm, the time is almost up, go and prepare quickly."

"As for that Bodhi Ancient Tree, there are quite a few factions harboring some intentions toward it!"

………

While the Bodhi Ancient Tree was attracting the gazes of many, there was also some minor turmoil within the Shi Clan.

"Boom!"

Sword Qi split the earth beneath their feet into an abyss thousands of zhang deep, and immediately after, a giant axe slashed horizontally across the ground, carving out a massive crater a hundred zhang deep and a thousand zhang in diameter.

"You old thing from the Soul Clan, isn't this going a bit too far?" Ye Jianxin's expression was cold, the hem of his green shirt had already vanished, Dou Qi flowed around the long sword in his hand, and his body was taut, ready to strike at any moment.

Standing before Ye Jianxin was a burly man with blood-red hair holding a giant axe, wearing a cruel smile.

"This old man just wanted to see exactly how much capability the Great Elder of the Langya Pavilion, who has caused my Soul Clan to suffer setbacks time and again, truly possesses."

"Now it seems..."

The burly man spat and said disdainfully, "Nothing more than this."

"Oh?" Ye Jianxin's expression shifted, revealing a gentle smile: "It seems your hands are a bit itchy, Your Excellency!"

"In that case, how could I not accompany you to the end?"

His aura erupted violently, and in an instant, both sides were at daggers drawn!

Meanwhile, the many experts invited from afar were watching with keen interest, anticipating the battle about to break out.

"The Langya Pavilion and the Soul Clan are actually fighting; this matter is getting interesting."

"But to think this Langya Pavilion Great Elder also possesses the strength of a Five-Star Dou Sheng is truly surprising; these three are indeed worthy of being peerless geniuses renowned throughout the Central Plains."

"I wonder who will win and who will lose; that old fellow Hun Yun is no pushover!"

Just at this moment...

"Wait!"