The Totem Black Snake let out a low hiss, showing little interest in the resources produced by these Heaven Crown Purple Linden Trees.
It was already a Supreme Monarch. Devouring the opponent would not increase its strength by much, not to mention they were of different attributes and races.
The Black Snake lazily stretched its majestic body, as if coming out to fight had merely been a casual exercise to loosen its muscles.
Now that the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree was dead, it had no interest in remaining outside.
Boom! With a thunderous explosion, the towering serpent that pierced into the clouds suddenly shattered, its entire body dispersing into a vast azure mist that swept across the sky before surging back into the Totem Pearl.
There was even less to say about Lu Mei. Her pretty face was indifferent; her younger brother's things were her things. The two did not distinguish between each other.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree had fallen. The Moon Moth Phoenix hovered in the air like a luminous jade disc, its serene moonlight spreading across the earth.
At this moment, the Moon Moth Phoenix let out a soft chant, carrying both relief and reluctance.
Seeing this, Yan Shi's expression turned sorrowful. She seemed to understand and slowly said, "Old friend, you are about to enter reincarnation, aren't you?"
The Moon Moth Phoenix did not answer. It slowly descended to the center of the five broken main trunks of the Heaven Crown Tree, as though embraced by mountains.
Amid the wreckage of the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree, countless violet-gold leaves drifted down, naturally piling up at this place and forming a nest-like pool of leaves.
"Divine Purple Linden Leaves."
Lu Jun, Yan Shi, and the others stepped forward. They observed the violet-gold leaves, flexible and crystal-clear, radiating a warm glow. Each leaf was the size of a human body and could be used as a blanket. They immediately recognized the material.
"A top-grade material of the Light Element. Any single piece could be crafted into a high-tier Light Element magic equipment."
Lu Jun exclaimed, "With so many Divine Purple Linden Leaves piled into such a massive pool, selling them would make us rich."
Although he muttered this, he did not make a move.
The Moon Moth Phoenix Totem was a Light Element demon, its abilities manifesting as serene moonlight.
Judging from the Totem Mark on its body, it belonged to a higher branch of Totems, descended from the Vermilion Bird, one of the Four Sacred Beasts.
That indeed matched the auspicious attribute of the Vermilion Bird.
Thus, the Moon Moth Phoenix fed on the Divine Purple Linden Leaves and would undergo Nirvana in an extremely short time, restoring its strength to a certain degree.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Soon after, Lu Jun witnessed the Moon Moth Phoenix undergoing Nirvana within the pool blanketed by the Divine Purple Linden Leaves. Its body shone with gentle radiance before dispersing into countless motes of light.
The old body dissipated. Within the violet-gold nest, a tiny green cocoon floated and sank gently, breathing as it absorbed the power of the surrounding Divine Purple Linden Leaves, as well as the vast residual Totem power from its previous life.
Upon seeing this, Yan Shi felt an inexplicable sense of calm.
Lu Jun examined the cocoon and sighed, "The greatest innate talent of the Phoenix race is Nirvana. With such a uniquely blessed location, the Moon Moth Phoenix might even evolve upon its rebirth."
In the original timeline, this had not happened. Back then, the Moon Moth Phoenix had been on the verge of death and had no choice but to step into reincarnation, having accumulated little foundation. Naturally, after its rebirth, it did not differ much from its previous life.
But now things were different. The Moon Moth Phoenix absolutely possessed the potential to advance further.
After all, among the remaining Totems in China—such as the Black Snake, Bixi, the Sky Mark White Tiger, the Sea Dongqing, at the very least they were Supreme Monarch. The Moon Moth Phoenix alone seemed out of place.
Was it possible that the Phoenix clan itself required continuous Nirvana to temper and refine its bloodline?
Perhaps the Moon Moth Phoenix had originally been nothing more than an ordinary moth, then transformed into a Moon Moth, and finally ascended step by step into a Phoenix.
Yan Shi spoke firmly, "I have decided to guard this place. I will send it off into reincarnation and await its rebirth."
Lu Jun did not object. She had her own convictions.
However, Yan Shi changed the subject and looked kindly at Lu Mei. "Little Lu Mei, would you be willing to accompany this old woman in this lonely place for some time?"
Lu Mei was no naive girl unfamiliar with human affairs. Hearing this, joy appeared on her face.
This was the elder's intention to take her as a disciple.
She also had many questions she wished to ask, how Yan Shi had fused the Earth, Fire, and Wind Elements so perfectly, even producing a subtle transformation.
Yan Shi smiled gently. By accepting Lu Mei as her disciple, she also intended for her daughter Jiang Feng to remain here.
All these years, Yan Shi had felt guilty and owed much to her daughter. She wished to make amends and also repay her benefactor.
Lu Jun had no objections; in fact, he was delighted. It was good for Lu Mei to learn something, and the Moon Moth Phoenix's Nirvana also required guardians.
With the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree fallen, a great hidden danger had been eliminated from China ahead of time.
There was no longer any reason to remain in Yantai.
As Lu Jun reluctantly bade farewell to his sister, Yan Shi suddenly spoke, "Oh, right. Take this."
She handed him a sinister violet-red fruit. A crimson glow flowed across its surface, pulsating like some living creature, like a beating heart.
"Purple Linden Fruit," Yan Shi said. "This is the aggregate of all the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree's evil power, mixed with the resentment of countless creatures it devoured. You may handle it as you see fit. Destroying it is also an option."
Lu Jun accepted it and felt the vast Curse Element energy contained within the violet-red fruit. His expression shifted slightly.
He knew Yan Shi had perceived that he was a Super Tier Curse Mage, which was why she entrusted it to him.
For a Curse Mage, this was indeed a supreme treasure. It could be refined into a precious curse substance, or its evil power could be directly absorbed to advance one's Super Tier cultivation.
Lu Jun could already sense that this Purple Linden Fruit could raise his Curse Element Nebula by one level.
However, he did not rush to refine it and instead stored it away.
His Curse Element had only recently advanced to Super Tier Level Two, and his foundation was not yet stable. It would be best to refine it when he was on the verge of another breakthrough.
Moreover, he remembered that the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree and the Oath Tree were twin divine trees of the same origin.
It was just a pity that one day the powers of Curse and Psychic descended from the heavens, injecting themselves into the two respectively, causing intense mutations and sending them down completely different paths.
Within a thousand years, the former had degenerated into a demonic evil, constantly devouring flesh and blood to strengthen itself. The latter, however, remained in the Qinling Mountains, sheltering a clan and even forming a contract with a certain Totem.
In those years, a senior elder of the Tribunal once traveled to the Qinling, obtained a section of its branch, and after returning to the Tribunal replanted it, where it grew into the subsidiary Oath Tree.
That was precisely the foundation of the Tribunal's existence. Any member who swore an oath beneath the Oath Tree could never betray the Tribunal.
Thus, Tribunal Judges were extremely reliable.
"The Oath Tree, the Purple Linden Tree—Curse and Psychic, two sides of one body, Yin and Yang giving rise to each other."
Lu Jun fell into thought, murmuring to himself. Perhaps once he obtained the fruit of the Oath Tree and placed the two together, some kind of transformation would occur.
He had a faint intuition that within them lay a great opportunity for both the Curse Element and the Psychic Element.
Interestingly, the senior elder who had obtained the branch of the Oath Tree was none other than Yan Shi herself.
Encountering two different divine trees had shaped two completely opposite fates for her, subtly echoing the attributes of the two great sacred trees.
Lu Jun decided, "After refining the Purple Linden Fruit, I'll give the remaining seed to Sister Tang Yue. In any case, she won't be advancing to Super Tier anytime soon."
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