Chapter 76: Dead Peach Tree

Peach Tree?

Xian Yue's eyes lit up with excitement. If what he had heard was indeed true, then this was an extraordinary opportunity. The ancient scriptures and the supreme techniques meant nothing to him; his mind was elsewhere.

Xian Yue did indeed spare the lives of the three Yin spirits and left them unscathed. However, the Yin spirits smiled at each other with sinister intent once they were out of earshot. One of them opened his mouth to say, "That the location where the stone tablet rests is the very core of this region. Such a man must be strong, but can he actually break open the seal on the tablet?"

Another Yin spirit stood forth, saying, "That seal was set by an Immortal Emperor. Only a person of equal status may hope to open it. Do you think he is an Immortal Emperor? No, he doesn't seem like one."

"If he isn't an Immortal Emperor," the first spirit continued coldly, "he is sure to come to his end. There are too many powerful officials there among them, even two Eternal Immortal Venerables!

Meanwhile, Xian Yue was only able to take a few steps ahead when Taoist inscriptions began to appear right beneath his feet, emitting divine light that could stab anyone with ease like knives. The brightness was simply blinding, reminding everyone of the dangers this desolate area hid. The power with those inscriptions was enough to destroy anything that dared approach them.

Mei Kai's throat constricted in fright. This place was popularly known as the Fall of the Emperor and was famous for traps. The Daowen inscriptions that had been activated under their feet were capable of erasing everything above it without a moment to think about it. But, despite the overwhelming threat, nothing happened.

But the light of carvings did not spill out, their massive strength overpowered by an even stronger force than theirs. True, there was a cause-the peace of energy here caused solely by Xian Yue. Walking before the inscriptions and ambushed spirits, under his guidance, without even a hint of danger, was his decision. Xian Yue had decided that if he would spare a life then they lived, but if not then they die. And it was as easy as that.

After gathering information, Xian Yue led the group to the famous peach tree that they have been searching for. When they finally reached it, they were welcomed by a gigantic, ancient tree towering above them. Its thick, gnarled branches stretched towards the sky, but something was amiss.

"This is the peach tree the Yin spirits mentioned?" Mei Rong asked, her voice full of doubt. "It looks… dead."

Indeed, the tree before them was a withered husk. Its bark stood dry and blackened, as if burned by fire. No leaves adorned its branches; neither was there any sign of life—let alone peaches. The tree looked long past its prime.

Xian Yue reached out to touch the cracked bark of the tree, and in the instant of contact, his spiritual senses journeyed along the flow of time. His consciousness raced backward, through endless time, until he saw the tree as it once was - thousands of years ago, lush and full of life, its branches heavy with large, vibrant pink peaches-flat peaches, to be more specific.

The tree was surrounded by gigantic structures that seemed mighty—the tall pavilions and flowing rivers giving this place the sheer quality of a place from out of a dream. Spiritual birds soar through the sky, sacred beasts roam wildly, and powerful immortals float in air, casting long shadows over the peaceful scene.

"This tree… It's really a flat peach tree," Xian Yue muttered, returning to the real world, opening his eyes once more. His suspicion was confirmed when he saw what the tree must have looked like in the good old days – incredibly powerful, vital.

"But it's dead now. Even if it was a flat peach tree, it's useless like this, right?" asked Mei Rong, with a disappointed tone.

Xian Yue chuckled. "It is dead. But I can bring it back to life".

He didn't flinch even slightly. This tree hadn't been uprooted or ravaged. It was dead because it couldn't survive the miserable conditions of the underworld. Be it whatever cause that led to its death, Xian Yue knew he could revive it if only a single root remained alive.

Of course, he could very well create a new tree or spiritual plant, but this was unnecessary. The flat peach tree would do. In one swift motion, Xian Yue put the tree away in his storage space, planning on bringing it back to life at the next opportune moment.

Mei Kai had been silent all along through this journey, but now he was talking with irritation. "We haven't found a single hint of the Poison Bead. How do we Know if it does exist here?"

The Poison Bead is the artifact believed to be molded under toxic conditions and is known to be extremely rare and deadly. But after searching for any clue, nothing could be pointed out which might suggest its existence here.

Xian Yue shook his head. "Slim chance it'll be here," he said. "The Poison Bead only takes shape when the air is full of venom and deadly toxins. There's a plethora of ghostly energy, but it's not poisonous. Don't get your hopes up."

"Senior, are you quite sure that you'll be able to restore my daughter's health without the Poison Bead?" Mei Kai asked diffidently.

"Even if she dies, I can bring her back," Xian Yue said calmly, without even turning to look at him.

Mei Kai's mouth twitched at the bold claim, but he dared not argue. Right now, this senior was his only hope.

Securing the peach tree, Xian Yue then targeted the stone tablet. Whatever ancient texts he chanced upon, he would take without a second thought. And for this end, he waylaid another, sturdier Yin spirit and moved straight to the stone monument.

The more and more they ventured inside, the greater in number the Yin spirits were. More potent powers began to manifest, one worse than the other. The thick ghost mist enveloping them slowly lifted with Xian Yue's existence, revealing ghastly figures that hid inside. The colors had drained from their faces; eyes were dull and lifeless, But despite this eerie stillness, all of them stared intensely at Xian Yue and his companions.

It was quite unpleasant, surrounded by so many evil beings. Both Mei Rong and Mei Kai felt a chill run down their spines. If it wasn't for the protective energy emitted by Xian Yue, they would have been torn apart long ago.

"This place once belonged to a strong immortal sect," Xian Yue said while walking. "It's no wonder there are so many powerful spirits here."

Still, he was left puzzled for one reason. It was strange for so many corpses to create such powerful Yin spirits. Normally, only in some conditions would this be possible for rebirth.

"Senior," said Mei Kai, furrowing his brow for a moment. "If such a great force was in this place, then who could have led them to extinction? And why do the corpses seem so untrodden? No signs of wounds, no signs of struggle. It is as if they fell dead in this place and did not struggle at all. Someone more powerful must have opposed them, maybe? But then, how were they killed?"

Xian Yue smiled weakly. "Power is a strange thing. No matter how mighty a sect is, they're sure to be smashed if it doesn't have an unkillable person to protect them. And as for those corpses, indeed, there was a greater power."

He gazed at the deathly pale bodies scattered all about them. "But regarding how they died? Did you not notice something? They were sucked dry of yang energy."

"Yang energy?" Mei Rong was perplexed. "But… some of these corpses are women. Aren't they yin? How could they have yang energy?"

Just as Xian Yue was going to respond, a figure stepped out of the darkness ahead and barred their path. The figure's voice boomed loudly as he asked, "Who dares trespass here?"

"Move." Xian Yue said callously. He pushed a wave of his power at the figure, and it flew back in one motion, not even trying to get out of the way.