Chapter 340: Sprout of the world tree

In Cao Yun's sea of consciousness, the small seed of the world tree was floating in the air, going toward the Drop of Wrath. Although the Drop of Wrath was actively attracting it, Cao Yun stayed in control of the situation. Unlike the first time the Drop of Wrath had healed his Bai Hui, he wanted to feel everything.

Below the Drop of Wrath, Dian Mo was still trapped with blood and chains on the Nine Soul Peaks. He didn't want to disturb Cao Yun because he didn't want him to die. In fact, he wished for his Bai Hui to be repaired as well because he was still convinced that at some point in time the boy's body would be his. However, he couldn't let him become too powerful. Dian Mo had a small window of opportunity. He would need to try and strengthen his blood without strengthening his mind too much. Thankfully, improving one's mind was always harder than cultivating one's blood.

In the coming years, he would have to push Cao Yun toward blood cultivation. And slowly, he would try to understand his mind cultivation. Even now, he had been studying his Nine Soul Peaks. It was rather strange, but he felt as though it was very similar to the cultivation of demons. Although they focused heavily on the body and the blood, they also had to train their minds and souls.

The chains trapping him were very close to the chains Mo Tian was using right now from Da Mo's body. But Dian Mo had never seen those chains in humans. However, it was possible that it was the result of his strange blood. That being said, he felt as though it was more closely related to his mind cultivation. This method was beyond what even he could understand. For now, he would study his prey. And hopefully, he would also fight his own demons. By being confronted to the outside world through Cao Yun's eyes, he hoped to get rid of his anxiety.

When finally the seed touched the Drop of Wrath, it sank in it. Cao Yun kept controlling it by using his two Po characters. The Death Energy from the Po character inside the Drop of Wrath began to activate. It flew all around and some tiny particles of bones entered into the seed. Even though it was fully inside the Drop of Wrath, the seed stayed perfectly green. It was full of life.

As the tiny particles of Death Energy entered the seed, it started to slowly vibrate. Then, a minuscule sprout appeared from it. The sprout was incredibly small even compared with the seed. It started to grow in height while it stayed narrow and thin. It looked like a thin vine rising toward the firmament. When it left the Drop of Wrath, the vine remained green with a faint layer of blood on it. Just as the vine grew toward the sky, another tiny vine also went into the ocean. The seed remained inside the Drop of Wrath while it was extending at both sides.

Cao Yun could feel a powerful vitality emanating from the tiny vine. It wasn't as intense as the world tree back in the Yellow Death World. But it was clearly the same kind of vitality. Just like what he had seen while climbing the world tree, Cao Yun had visions of the original world tree as this new one was being born. Then, he saw time flow in reverse. From the giant tree who encompassed an entire world, he saw a tiny sprout. It had one single vine toward the heavens and many roots shallow into the ground. Although it was small, it was destined to rule the world.

Then, time flowed backward even more until Cao Yun saw the seed. He even saw the seed travel through the vacuum of space. Finally, he saw that this seed had come from another world tree, several galaxies away. This tiny seed had traveled for many millenniums before reaching a world. And it completely took it over. There could be thousands if not millions of other world trees everywhere in the universe. In fact, the world tree who had given its seed to Cleansed Asura was probably still alive. But Cao Yun was not sure if he existed in this universe or another. After all, Cleansed Asura had crossed the veil between the worlds several times.

While lost in his thoughts, Cao Yun could still feel the tiny sprout growing though. The Drop of Wrath could still nourish it but it finally stopped growing nonetheless. Just like Cao Yun who didn't want to cultivate too fast in order to keep a steady base, the seed was also protecting itself. It had no consciousness but had an awareness of its surroundings.

The roots were getting lost in the ocean deep below, where the Insight Writings of his spear art had been born. And in the sky, the vine gave birth to a tiny bulb. From it, a small flower emerged delicately. When Cao Yun saw this flower, he immediately felt his Bai Hui react. On each petal of the flower, there was a thin layer of blood from the Drop of Wrath. This layer was almost invisible but it was there. And from the ocean below, a thin layer of golden water was also covering the entire plant.

Cao Yun could feel a powerful connection between this flower and his Bai Hui. In fact, there were as many petals as there had been in his mental image of the Bai Hui, the Gate of the Hundred Convergences. Suddenly, he knew what to do. It had appeared in his mind. He wasn't sure at first but it seemed to come from Dian Mo. Indeed, his Drop of Wrath was way more familiar with the cultivation of a demon. But Dian Mo had studied everything he could find to try and get rid of his boredom. As such, he had also studied the cultivation of humans.

At first skeptical, Cao Yun was forced to admit that it made sense. It was clear to him that Dian Mo was raising him in order to steal his body later on. He had no reason to try to harm him, but he would always try to leave openings for him to possess him. Thus, Cao Yun checked several times the flower and the vine, just to be sure that Dian Mo was not doing anything he shouldn't be doing.

When he was satisfied that everything seemed fine, Cao Yun began the process he had seen, still a bit suspicious.

The golden Insight Writings of his spear art rose in the sky. They reached the summit of the vine where the flower had bloomed. With an extreme precision developed thanks to his study of alchemy, Cao Yun cut the flower from the vine. The golden characters acted as small blades. Then, Cao Yun used his mind to control the flower that was now levitating in his sea of consciousness. Slowly, he guided it upward, toward the stars and beyond.

After a while, the flower went above all the seven stars of the Azure Dragon. Finally, it became more and more vague in Cao Yun's mind. Then, it crossed some kind of boundary and it disappeared. But at the same time, Cao Yun felt his Bai Hui being revitalized. The vitality from the seed was being transferred to his Bai Hui. The petal that had been replaced by the blood from the Drop of Wrath withered and died. In its stead, a green petal appeared, full of life.

Immediately after that, Cao Yun felt a powerful resonance between his Five Prodigious Gates. All of them started to vibrate at the same time. Both internally and through his Wei Qi, there was a powerful stream of Qi going from one gate to another. They were now all connected. Right now, Cao Yun had really entered the 3rd-grade Mortal Warrior.

Technically, he had done so after opening his Bai Hui. But as long as it was damaged, it was useless to him.

The 3rd-grade Mortal Warrior stage consisted in forging and tempering the Five Prodigious Gates. The stronger and sturdier the gates, the more Qi one could both emanate and absorb. As they would grow more powerful, the gates would allow the cultivator to create more physical and corporeal Qi Manifestation. At the same time, it would allow them to use more Qi outside and to expand their senses while being able to control heavier objects with it. In terms of cultivation, it would prepare them for the accumulation of Fire Qi.

Fire Qi was dangerous, as Cao Yun had witnessed firsthand. It wasn't as dangerous as Evil Qi of course. But it could easily damage acupoints and meridians. The meridians and vessels had been strengthened during the Mortal realm, the Foundation Realm. During this Forge Realm, the Mortal Warrior realm, one had to strengthen his acupoints. Then, Cao Yun would have to prepare his body for the Lesser Tribulation when Fire Qi and Water Qi would collide and merge into the Soul Embryo.

Breaking through to the 4th-grade Mortal Warrior stage would take at least a couple of years. Besides, Cao Yun was still worried about his Bai Hui. After all, he had been forced to resort to an external help. He had to make sure that it really was resistant enough. And maybe he would not be able to temper it as much as the other gates. It was essential for a cultivator to keep his Five Prodigious Gates in harmony. That was why they would not be tempered before all five of them were fully opened.

Any disharmony between the gates would cause problems with Qi Manifestation, Qi sensitivity and even with absorbing Fire Qi. Keeping a perfectly balanced body was always important, as was keeping a balanced mind, or a balanced soul...

Now officially a 3rd-grade Mortal Warrior, Cao Yun reveled in the moment. Unlike what he had suffered in the Palace of Supreme Wisdom, this sensation was divine. He felt as though he was all-powerful and all the Qi was revolving around him. Of course, it wasn't really the case, but the feeling was exhilarating.

As he was coming down from his excitement, Cao Yun saw that the seed was still within his Drop of Wrath. However, the vine had withered. There were now only tiny roots. They had gotten intertwined around the Nine Soul Peaks. In fact, some roots had even climbed down on Dian Mo's spirit. Using the Drop of Wrath as nourishment and the Nine Soul Peaks as a tutor, the roots had gone to the ocean below. Those were different roots from before. The seed had produced one flower under the effect of the Drop of Wrath. Now that its first task was done, the seed had received its reward. It had been nourished enough to start to grow.

After regaining his composure, Cao Yun did not lose any second. Immediately, he tried to circulate his 'Ashen Feather Seal'. In his entire body, his Qi started to turn into tiny particles of ash. Usually those ashes could not enter his sea of consciousness because he was only a Mortal Warrior. But because he had learned to enter his sea of consciousness, Cao Yun simply created them within as well. Everything turned gray.

Outside, his very presence began to disappear. Cao Yun had used all his understanding of stealth to improve Huang Liyue's method. It was already very powerful but it was meant to be used by someone with the bloodline of a True Fiery Fenghuang. As such, Cao Yun had been forced to adapt it to his own blood. And his blood had evolved once more so the effects increased as well.

Now that his Bai Hui, and thus his Five Prodigious Gates were fully opened, those ashes were covering his entire Wei Qi.

If a Mortal were to look in Cao Yun's direction, he would not be able to notice him. He wasn't invisible per se. But it would just be impossible for the Mortal to register him although he was right under his nose. As long as Cao Yun did not enter in contact with him, that was.

For a Mortal Warrior, the results wouldn't be so great but they would be unable to detect anything from Cao Yun apart from his shape.

Finally, concerning a Spirit Warrior, Cao Yun was unsure. Most of them would be unable to detect his Qi, but their spiritual senses would allow them to get a feeling that something was strange. Hopefully, as the fight was extremely fierce and with the help of Spirit Master Xiao Xuefeng attacking Mo Tian's soul, Cao Yun would be able to go into the Devil's Jail undetected.

-

It was now time for him to put his plan into action. Cao Yun left the alchemy pavilion invigorated. Although the task ahead was perilous, he was the only one who could do it and he intended to bring it to fruition. Although he could kill Mo Tian directly, by activating the ultimate seal of the Devil's Jail, he would be the one behind his demise.

Mei Hua had given her talisman to Cao Yun. Now that he was ready, he activated it. Spirit Master Xiao felt it and knew that this was time.

At the same moment, she sent instructions to all the chief elders and even to Sect Leader Xuan. They had prepared for it for some time now. Only Sect Leader Xuan and Spirit Master Xiao knew that Cao Yun was the one who would put the plan in action. The others only knew that someone was going to try and seal Da Mo's body. In fact, many imagined that this was Chief Elder Suxian's Soul Embryo.

Anyway, they were not told so they did not ask. They only focused on their task. They had to create a diversion to distract Mo Tian's attention from the Devil's Jail.

The first one to act was Sect Leader Xuan. He had prepared his ultimate move. Even his pseudo-Domain was not the most powerful technique he knew, this was certainly the most complex and impressive. But he had many other things still hidden, especially while in the Wubei Sect. Even now he had not used all his cards. Unless he had really no other choice, Sect Leader Xuan would always hide a part of his powers. Although the Hongchen Kingdom was rather peaceful, without taking into account the demonic cultivators, no faction wanted to reveal everything to the others, just like the Huang family who was keeping their blood cultivation method secret.

Behind Sect Leader Xuan, space broke. It was similar to what had happened behind Cao Yun after mastering his 'Azure Dragon's Seven Piercing Stars'. But instead of stars, this broken space opened on two yellow eyes. Their light got focused on Mo Tian's body directly. Despite his deep concentration, he felt it. It was as if a terrifying demonic beast had taken him as prey. And he felt incredibly tiny in front of this presence that was beyond space.