Huang Kong Di stood motionless, his spear steady at his side, as the cavern's faint lights shimmered against the bark of the three colossal trees. His heartbeat thundered within his chest, yet his eyes grew sharp and calm. The firefly-like orbs floating in the air gave the underground chamber an almost sacred atmosphere, as though he had stepped into the dwelling of ancient gods.
He exhaled slowly, suppressing the pounding in his chest. His Martial Spirit had already revealed its desire, trembling violently the closer he came to these trees and the underground pool. For any cultivator, this was both a sign of fortune and danger. Treasures that made one's Martial Spirit resonate were never ordinary.
Caution warred with excitement in his heart. But instead of rushing recklessly, Huang Kong Di circled the chamber and observed carefully. His mother's face flickered into his mind—Huang Kong Mei, the woman who carried the weight of their departure from the Huang Clan without fear. She had taught him patience above all else.
And patience now revealed its reward.
He narrowed his gaze at the first tree. Its trunk was pitch black, rough as if carved from obsidian, yet its branches bore dozens of tear-shaped fruits. Each fruit glistened faintly, as though weeping with a dim glow, their surfaces wet with mist. The tree's aura carried a mournful chill that pressed against his soul.
Huang Kong Di's eyes widened in recognition.
"Wailing Ghost Tree…"
The name came to his mind like thunder. He had seen an illustration once in an ancient record while assisting his mother with appraising scrolls. The book had noted its rarity—so rare that only a handful of records even confirmed its existence.
The tear-shaped fruits were its most terrifying and precious aspect. It was said that plucking one would summon ghostly wails that could shatter the soul of an unprepared cultivator. Those who failed would have their scattered souls devoured as nourishment for the tree and forever barred from reincarnating again.
Yet for those who succeeded? The fruits were unparalleled treasures, able to enhance the quality of one's Martial Spirit itself. They increased the odds of awakening powerful innate abilities at the pivotal breakthroughs of the Fourth and Seventh Order of cultivation.
Huang Kong Di tightened his grip on his spear. Such a thing… even royal clans would wage bloody wars for it. And there are not one, but dozens of fruits hanging here…
His gaze shifted to the next tree, glowing faintly red in the dim light. Its bark was a deep crimson, almost appearing to pulse like living flesh. On its branches hung round, jewel-like fruits that shone like polished rubies, each emitting a faint warmth.
The faint scent of iron reached his nose, and he recognized it due to its striking feature.
"Ruby Blood Tree…"
This tree was even more puzzling than the first. The Ruby Blood Tree only grew in blood-soaked lands, places where countless lives had perished, or atop ancient blood pools left behind by battlefields of gods and devils. To find one flourishing here, in a hidden underground cavern, was unthinkable.
He frowned. Unless… this cavern was once part of some ancient battlefield?
The fruits of the Ruby Blood Tree were equally famous, though not for their destructive properties. Eating one could extend a cultivator's life by ten to twenty years. That alone made them priceless to the powerful who feared death's approach. And that was only for ordinary fruits—hundred-year fruits and thousand-year fruits could extend one's life even longer.
To the outside world, such fruits were worth more than any alchemy pill or jade, for what price could one put on life itself? These fruits are priceless to any clan or sect who have ancestors at their death's door.
Finally, his gaze landed on the largest tree—the one in the very center. Its bark was pale grey, and its trunk glowed faintly as if it were carved from ancient stone. The fruits hanging on its branches are fewer than the other two trees, yet the faint radiance seeped from the tree, casting a serene light across the chamber.
Huang Kong Di's breath caught.
"Thi… this is The Soul Bearing Tree."
The name carried weight, and anyone would be shocked to see this miracle tree. This tree was legendary, more mysterious than the other two combined. Records said that consuming its fruits enhanced the very soul, elevating one's spiritual strength beyond normal limits and increasing one's chances of breaking into the Saint Realm.
A realm that's spoken of in legends. It was said there is still a Living Ancestor of the Duanren Empire who is in this realm; it was a realm every cultivator in the world could only look up to. It should be known that the Luo Tong Kingdom is merely one of the hundreds of kingdoms under the Duanren Empire.
Coming back to the tree, from what he read about it in ancient records, no one knows the reason this Tree grows, and where it grows, it could be in a barren land, a place full of life, an ancient forest...etc. But here… this was no record, no half-legend passed through ancient scrolls. Here stood a living Soul Bearing Tree, roots coiled deep into the underground earth.
He stepped closer and instantly felt it. The oppressive aura weighing down his body suddenly eased, replaced by a clarity of thought, as though his very soul was being polished by an invisible hand. The world grew sharper; every sound, every flicker of light entered his senses in perfect detail.
His expression grew solemn.
The records are incomplete. No one ever found a living Soul Bearing Tree… only its fallen fruits. But now I understand. To cultivate beneath this tree is to temper both soul and body. Even my Battle Qi feels purer simply by standing here.
He lowered his spear slowly, reverence flickering in his gaze.
Then his eyes drifted toward the underground pool.
Unlike ordinary water, its surface shimmered with prismatic light, reflecting not just the leaves of the trees but also a deeper, almost celestial brilliance. He knelt by its edge, dipping his hand into the pool.
Warmth surged through his palm, then spread up his arm and into his chest. In an instant, his Martial Spirit shook violently, a tidal wave of resonance bursting out. His Hollow Hydra Spirit nearly manifested on its own, as if drawn to devour the energy within the waters.
Huang Kong Di's face hardened.
This pool… it is the essence of all three trees, fused together by heaven and earth. The water itself contains the purest essence of Battle Qi, soul force, and life force. To cultivate within it would be to temper body, Martial Spirit, and soul simultaneously. And if I consume the fruits while cultivating inside… the effects would multiply beyond imagination.
The realization sent a chill racing down his spine. A place like this was not just a treasure—it was a miracle.
For the first time since leaving the Huang Clan two years ago, a genuine smile spread across his face. The heavy weight of their departure, the cold disdain of his clan, the endless trials in the forest—all seemed to fade in the light of this discovery.
He clenched his fist, looking up at the trees.
"This… this is fate. At last, I've found a chance not only to grow stronger but to give something back to my mother. With these treasures, I can ease the burden she carries alone."
In the silence of the underground cavern, only the faint rustling of leaves answered him. But within Huang Kong Di's chest, a blazing determination had been lit.
This hidden sanctuary would be his cultivation ground. The treasures here would not only pave his path toward greatness but also serve as the gift he would one day present to the woman who sacrificed everything for him.
He stood tall beneath the three ancient trees, spear gleaming faintly in the ghostly firefly light, his eyes shining like twin stars in the cavern's eternal night.
For the first time in two years, Huang Kong Di felt hope.
And with that hope came resolve.
This was the beginning of his true cultivation.