Chapter 215: Divine Fruit Forest, Great Harvest
Shi Jian continued toward the mysterious area outside the Fierce Den. After walking further inside, rules prohibiting flight began to appear.
A decaying scent emanated from the surroundings. Countless corpses, numbering no less than 1,000, lay sprawled on the ground. They had been dead for an unknown period.
The decay of a Physical Body was a strange phenomenon here. Even after a God Realm expert died, their flesh and blood should have been preserved for a very long time. Logically, they shouldn't decay.
Mountains of bones were everywhere—the remains of powerful individuals. The countless corpses gathered together resembled the entrance to Hell, exuding a palpable Killing Intent and an icy chill.
A blood-red sun hung in the sky, shrouded by a crimson moon, further adding to the perilous atmosphere. Even the bodies of powerful True God Realm existences appeared here.
More than a year had passed, and some who had entered this place had actually achieved a breakthrough to the True God Realm. This, however, was also normal. They were not Primordials; their bone structures were not outstanding, so they used secret methods to boost their cultivation after entering the Immortal Ancient.
Their purpose was simple: to collect more sacred medicines and bring them out. But in the end, they died here.
Cliffs appeared one after another, white bones covered the ground, and the chilling atmosphere was almost enough to make one's scalp tingle.
However, Shi Jian and Tang San Shao were completely unaffected. Shi Jian was brave due to his overwhelming power, while Tang San Shao specialized in countering ghosts and monsters.
What if vengeful spirits revived? What if the mortal world turned into Hell? One blast from the Forbidden Net Treasure Art, and wouldn't they just explode?
The further they walked, the heavier the cold Qi became. The Killing Intent had almost materialized, feeling like blades cutting all over the body. Here, there were not only bones from the current era but also accumulations from long ages past.
"It seems there's a rule here that can erode one's flesh and blood. No wonder the further we go, the fewer remains have flesh and blood, and the more white bones we see!" Tang San Shao said, cautiously maintaining vigilance as his Forbidden Net Treasure Art emitted light.
"Save… me!" a sinister voice sounded as several figures appeared before them.
These were Primordial-level experts. One of them opened his mouth with extreme difficulty. His entire Physical Body had decayed, and his vital points were all scorched and pierced by lightning—heart, throat, glabella… wounds were everywhere.
His Physical Body had rotted away; the voice he emitted was merely his last lingering obsession.
Shi Jian pointed his fingers like a sword, instantly spewing out sword Qi that pierced through the man's head.
Inside the body, a small black dot made the sound of flapping wings. It was a ferocious Gu worm, black as ink, only the size of a fingernail, with wings and a brutal appearance. The moment it appeared, it charged fiercely toward Tang San Shao's eyes.
"Hmph, just a Gu worm? Don't tell me you're just a mortal Gu; even if you were an Immortal Gu, you couldn't escape my Forbidden Net Treasure Art!"
A divine light flashed, and the Gu worm was exterminated within Tang San Shao's runes. It had to be said that Tang San Shao indeed had some tricks up his sleeve. This dark and vicious Gu worm could even kill a Primordial expert, yet it was countered by his Forbidden Net Treasure Art. It was a perfect professional match.
Vengeful spirits reviving, Nine Revolutions Gu Immortals—none could escape the judgment of the Forbidden Net Treasure Art.
"A single Gu worm can't kill a Primordial. These kinds of creatures are usually communal," Shi Jian noted. He headed towards the dense land ahead, where an ancient Formation guarded an opening. All the ominous things seemed to originate from there. That Primordial expert must have entered that place.
Shi Jian found a loophole in the Formation and stepped inside. He had expected a dark and gloomy scene.
Unexpectedly, the place was enveloped in brilliant light, with purple Qi descending from the sky. This was a radiant world, like the Realm of Immortals.
Shi Jian's gaze was fixed on the distance, where dozens of ancient, vigorous trees stood. Their leaves glowed, full of vitality.
These were Divine Fruit trees! With so many here, it was almost enough to support Shi Jian's transformation.
The sacred Qi was incredibly rich. All the trees were tall and vigorous, lustrous and bright, with rays of light connecting like a rainbow across the sky. The life force in the entire area was terrifyingly dense. Even taking a single breath made all the pores in his body expand.
The fruits on the ancient trees glowed like small suns, exuding a clear fragrance. They were the size of a fist, incredibly sacred, and shaped like humans. Some were golden, some crimson like a sunset, and some pure white.
Shi Jian was reminded of the legendary Ginseng Fruit. He wondered if Li Changshou could get some longevity fruits for the people in the group chat to eat.
As Shi Jian stepped toward a Divine Tree, wanting to pick the fruit, a wisp of black Qi suddenly appeared behind them. It transformed into a human figure and erupted with terrifying Killing Intent.
Shi Jian did not dodge. He instantly donned a layer of Nethergod Guard and summoned the Five Emperors Canopy.
The shadowy figure burst forth like a black sun, unleashing unparalleled power as if it would shatter the Void Realm. However, such a terrifying punch only stirred a ripple after hitting the Five Emperors Canopy.
The terror of the Five Emperors Canopy was no undeserved reputation.
The black mist on the ground continued to rise, quickly merging into one humanoid creature after another. Tang San Shao was startled by these things.
"Blue Silver Grass Entanglement!"
In an instant, countless strands of Blue Silver Grass entangled the demonic shadows, but they immediately broke free and rushed toward the two, attacking.
"Invincible Golden Body!" Tang San Shao quickly activated his ability and retreated rapidly. "I can't stop them… but these things should be ghosts!"
"Watch my Forbidden Net Treasure Art!"
A sacred light flashed, and the black shadows were instantly sealed by the Forbidden Net Treasure Art.
Hiss!
Shi Jian gasped after seeing this. The Forbidden Net Treasure Art was terrifying indeed. Among these black shadows, there were even some at the True God Realm. Tang San Shao's strength was only decent among Primordials, but this was a perfect counter. How could he directly seal True God Realm black shadows?
"These are Ghost Demon Gods, things formed by the condensation of Yin Qi. They can also be considered vengeful spirits!" Tang San Shao revealed, a hint of relief on his face. Fortunately, these things were related to ghosts. Otherwise, he would have been in deep trouble.
Suddenly, the sound of flapping wings came from the Void Realm. Powerful life Qi erupted from the Divine Trees. Endless black dots surged forth, overwhelming them and attacking the two.
These were the same Gu worms from before, and they also summoned more black shadows.
"Alas, so these Ghost Demon Gods are cultivated by Gu worms?" Shi Jian was a little surprised.
Tang San Shao, seeing this, became even more excited. "You mean, these things are related to both ghosts and Gu worms?"
Isn't that a double critical strike?
"Watch my Forbidden Net Treasure Art!" Tang San Shao roared. What did it matter if vengeful spirits revived and Gu worms were powerful? He only needed to make a slight move. One Forbidden Net Treasure Art could suppress and kill them all. It was just that unreasonable.
This was Tang San Shao's exclusive treasure art; it was by virtue of this art that he was called a Primordial!
The Forbidden Net Treasure Art emitted light, sweeping away large swaths of ancient Gu worms and Ghost Demon Gods. Shi Jian couldn't help but marvel at the scene. He hadn't expected a junior he casually took in to be so effective. He truly possessed the demeanor of an old friend.
Outside, endless Gu worms swarmed like raindrops, a dense and terrifying sight. The tiny creatures erupted with incredible combat power. The largest among them were no more than an inch long, yet they possessed the cultivation of the True God Realm, traversing the Void Realm and seemingly indestructible.
Coupled with those terrifying Ghost Demon Gods, Tang San Shao quickly found himself unable to cope. Although the Forbidden Net Treasure Art was heaven-defying, its effects were temporary. It couldn't seal them for eternity.
The Ghost Demon Gods revived and returned. Countless Gu worms formed various shapes in the Void Realm, combining into mechanical constructs. The Forbidden Net Treasure Art also had its limits.
Soon, Tang San Shao was wounded. Blood flowed freely as half his body was pierced. The Invincible Golden Body couldn't protect him against so many Gu worms.
Seeing this, Shi Jian no longer stood by. He erupted with Qi and blood that surged to the sky, displaying his divine might. The Hell Furnace instantly appeared behind him, with raging flames burning within.
As soon as the Gu worms entered the Hell Furnace, every single one was refined. They were incredibly frantic, charging into the furnace as if they didn't care about their lives.
"These Gu worms are crazy; they absolutely want to kill us!" Tang San Shao exclaimed, incredibly alarmed. His Forbidden Net Treasure Art, which specifically countered Gu worms and vengeful spirits, couldn't completely annihilate them. It even allowed them to recover and counterattack. Truly terrifying.
Can they escape the Forbidden Net Treasure Art? Interesting! Shi Jian thought.
He continued to walk towards the Divine Trees, the Hell Furnace suspended above his head. At this moment, he felt incredibly pleased. It was like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet where the food delivered itself to his mouth. As long as he unleashed the Hell Furnace, the Gu worms would swarm in and be refined into nutrients to nourish him.
It was incredibly satisfying. This was a scene Shi Jian had only dreamed of.
It also made him think of Yang Qi. Yang Qi had cultivated the Gate of Hell and could continuously summon demons. He could open a Gate of Hell on one side and a Hell Furnace on the other, creating a direct one-stop service for production and digestion. He could grow stronger even while lying down.
It was equivalent to having a place where he could continuously feast. That made Shi Jian incredibly envious. Unfortunately, he couldn't cultivate the Gate of Hell in the Perfect World. Even if he did, he wouldn't be able to summon demons, as the Perfect World didn't have a specific Hell.
If only I could create a Gate of Strangeness and summon the strange beings from the plateau...
While simultaneously feeling his cultivation increase, Shi Jian frantically picked the fruits from the Divine Trees. The yield of these trees was very low, but each fruit was extraordinarily unique, exuding a rich fragrance and radiating light.
These were Half-Ginseng Fruits, this world's version of an immortal medicine. They had a similar miraculous effect to the Ginseng Fruit from Journey to the West. He just didn't know which one had stronger medicinal power.
Shi Jian quickly picked nearly 100 fruits and prepared to retreat. He wanted to pick the entire orchard, even dig up the trees, but he saw several terrifying existences.
On the crowns of several trees, there were foot-long Gu worms and even more powerful Ghost Demon Gods. They were motionless, as if hibernating. The Qi emanating from these few was extremely terrifying. There were not only Heavenly God Realm ones, but even existences at the Sect Leader level.
Having ignited his Divine Fire and cultivated the Five Emperors Canopy, Shi Jian was confident that the Heavenly God Realm Gu worms couldn't harm him. But the Sect Leader level was a bit over the top.
If it was time to be cautious, one still had to be a little cautious.
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