"Blood Dragonwood Core Crystal!!"
Yi Tianxing exhaled slowly as he spoke.The blood-robed monk had actually refined an entire Blood Dragonwood tree into a single Blood Dragonwood Core Crystal. The method showed no hint of artifice—it was as if he wielded absolute mastery over the tree, able to reshape it at will.
This was a complete fusion of the tree's essence, refined with zero waste. Its value was self-evident.A single Blood Dragonwood Core Crystal was not inferior to most heavenly treasures.
"This is the Blood Dragonwood Heart. Its grade qualifies as an Earth-tier supreme divine material. Extremely rare—even sufficient to act as a main ingredient in crafting a spiritual treasure. As compensation, this should be worth more than the lives of a few humans."The blood-robed monk spoke solemnly.
In his view, this wood core far outweighed the worth of a few human cultivators. Offering it as an apology was already a great display of sincerity. No matter how strict the demands, this should be more than enough.
"Not enough. The lives of my Da Yi citizens are priceless!"
Yi Tianxing glanced at the wood core. By any worldly standard, its worth could indeed incite massacres and brutal wars.But sometimes, worth wasn't measured in material terms.
If you murdered people of Da Yi, then you must pay a bloody price.
"So, fellow Daoist truly intends to make an enemy of this humble monk?"
The blood-robed monk's expression turned cold. Yi Tianxing's words made it clear that he had no intention of making peace. Though the monk held some fear in his heart, he showed no sign of backing down.
This human… what is his origin?From the moment he appeared, I felt immense pressure. Even the bloody storm summoned by the Blood Dragonwood was suppressed with ease. I cannot see through his cultivation—he radiates a deadly threat. This isn't illusion—this is danger incarnate.
That was why the monk had tried diplomacy. If not for that pressure, he would've already killed them and used their bodies to nourish the trees.
"It is not I who seeks enmity. You drew first blood. Those who harm Da Yi shall be hunted down, no matter how far they flee."Yi Tianxing's voice was cold as ice.
As his voice fell, he flipped his hand, summoning a golden seal that shot into the sky and barreled toward the monk.
Physical Divine Ability — Prison Suppression Seal!!
Golden dragons and elephants surged on the seal, radiating divine might, as if resonating with the heavens.
He had nothing more to say. A blood-robed monk had appeared in this Lanruo Temple, so the only course was annihilation.
On the seal, three stars glowed in unison—each star that lit up doubled the might of the divine seal. Physical divine abilities were directly tied to physical strength. The stronger the body, the more devastating the blow.
Yi Tianxing's physical strength had reached a terrifying 900,000 jin, just shy of a million. He had reached the peak of the Second Transformation of Body Refinement.With the seal's boost, his strength surged past 2 million jin.
The space around the Prison Suppression Seal twisted visibly, as four golden pillars dropped from the heavens, locking down the area. Wind stopped. Rain halted. The moment the seal's light touched the land, everything within was frozen solid.
"Such powerful blood energy… You're a body cultivator!? This divine ability can suppress even space! That dragon-elephant might could crush hell itself!"
The blood-robed monk was shocked. He hadn't expected Yi Tianxing to strike so decisively and fiercely. The divine ability was driven purely by blood energy, inscribed with supreme Dao runes.It felt as though the entire world was collapsing onto him.
"Vajra Blood Palm Seal!!"
The monk retaliated. His blood-colored eyebrows trembled as he struck with a palm.A giant bloody palm print emerged, marked with a shining 卐 symbol at its center. That symbol radiated blood-red light, and a sinister, chanting scripture echoed from it—ominous and corrupting, enough to unsettle the heart.
But the palm radiated a divine might of indestructible Vajra.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
As the palm appeared, blood dragons howled and transformed into streams of bloody light, merging with the seal. The palm grew rapidly, its power soaring.
Blood light clashed with golden light—like fire and ice. Their collision unleashed horrifying hissing sounds.
Boom!!
The two divine abilities collided. Space twisted violently, yet didn't shatter—the Eternal World's spatial fabric was too strong. Over time, it would only grow more unbreakable.
Yi Tianxing's seal, boosted by millions of jin of force and spatial suppression, could crush even Law Manifestation cultivators. Yet now, it was locked in a deadlock with the bloody palm. Golden and bloody lights annihilated each other midair.
Both techniques eventually collapsed into nothing.
But in the wake of the destruction, the blood dragons let out agonized howls, vanishing one by one. Their spiritual energy returned to the Vajra Blood Dragonwood. The backlash greatly weakened them.
"Such domineering physical divine power! I didn't expect a body cultivator of this level. But… you still can't kill me. My Buddha is merciful—I'll leave this for now. There will be another day."
The blood-robed monk's face turned pale—but only subtly. Without another word, his figure vanished into thin air.
Even Yi Tianxing couldn't stop him.
"He vanished! That sinister monk must be hiding in the Blood Dragonwood trees. If we chop them all down, we might expose his true body. Let's see how long he can hide."
Yao Yue sneered.She had deduced that this monk was a spirit born of wood—a demonized tree spirit. Their greatest weakness was their physical body—the tree itself—which couldn't be easily moved. If damaged, their life essence would suffer.
"No rush. Since he's here, he won't escape. Let's explore the rest of the temple. This is only the front courtyard—there's more to this Lanruo Temple than meets the eye."
Yi Tianxing swept his gaze around. He didn't immediately chop down the trees. If they were here, they would eventually become his. No one could take them.
He waved his hand, drawing the Blood Dragonwood Core into his grasp.
The moment he held it, a wave of evil energy surged from the wood, trying to invade his soul.
But before it got close, the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower swallowed and refined it instantly.
"Hmph!!"
Lian Xing also snorted coldly.
Yi Tianxing led the three women deeper into the temple.
The forest of Blood Dragonwood made no moves to block them. It was as if they feared catching Yi Tianxing's attention—lest they be chopped down on the spot.
They entered a great hall.
It was filled with cobwebs, long-abandoned.
"This Lanruo Temple is clearly in ruins. The golden statues of the Buddhas are broken, cracked, or toppled. There must've been an intense battle here in the past."
Yao Yue scanned the area. Not a single intact statue remained. Traces of destruction were everywhere.
"What kind of Buddha is this? I've never seen one like it."
At the center stood a relatively complete statue. But it was unlike any Buddha they had known.
The statue had multiple faces, each pointing in a different direction—front, back, left, and right.Each face bore a different expression: anger, joy, sorrow, excitement...There were eight expressions in total.
It was deeply unsettling, as if no matter where you moved, the statue's gaze—and emotion—followed.
"I've never seen this kind of Buddha before either. If the body weren't damaged, maybe we could identify other features."
Cai Yan shook her head.She had little knowledge of Buddhism, especially in its prime. This statue—a Buddha with eight emotional faces—was something entirely foreign.