68: Chapter 68 Secret Realm, Taoist Sound, Divine Tree

Three months later.

Donglin Fortress.

In the courtyard, under the locust tree.

Xu Changsheng stood in the center of the courtyard with his upper body bare.

He was in a horse stance, dripping with sweat.

Scorching air steamed from his dark skin, leaving behind grayish-white salt stains.

He slowly lowered his fists and let out a long breath of turbid air.

"It wasn't in vain that I endured so much pain; my Body Refining Realm has finally reached the Late Stage."

Late Stage Qi Refining, First Rank Late Stage Body Refining, a Grade One Perfection Yao Beast, plus other means, were enough to make him a top figure in the Ancient Wood Secret Realm.

Meanwhile.

With the support of his talent 'Once Proven, Always Proven', his Formation attainments had already reached quasi-Second Rank.

He looked up at the sky.

It was still dusk, but everything was dim and hazy.

"The thunderstorm is coming soon."

Thick dark clouds covered the sky layer by layer, a heavy black mass, as if a giant lead plate was hanging overhead; the distant mountains were blurred.

From time to time, low, muffled rumbles rolled across the sky.

Seeing this.

Xu Changsheng raised an eyebrow.

"It's just the right time."

Standing up from his half-squat, he cast a Cleaning Art on himself to wash away the sweat, and finally took out a green Daoist robe from his Storage Pouch to put on.

"Pitter-patter!"

Raindrops fell from the sky, a prelude to the torrential rain.

Xu Changsheng's protective spiritual light flickered, shaking off all the rain.

He soon walked out of Donglin Fortress and arrived at a hidden cliff to the east of the fortress.

By now, it was raining cats and dogs.

The torrential rain was like a whip, violently lashing the world.

On the cliff.

Xu Changsheng opened his arms, feeling the surrounding aura.

His closed eyes suddenly snapped open: "The Hour of the Rooster has arrived, now is the time!"

He patted his Storage Pouch heavily.

In an instant.

Countless Formation Flags of various colors flew in all directions.

Finally, he took out a green Formation Plate with a lightning rod and placed it on a huge rock in the middle of the cliff.

"Boom!"

Before long, a bolt of heavenly lightning struck down along the lightning rod.

Xu Changsheng's expression was solemn as his hands continuously formed seals; meanwhile, the Star Pattern slowly moved in mid-air, guiding the surrounding forest wood power.

For the next hour.

Countless bolts of lightning were drawn into the Formation Plate.

Finally.

With a crack, the lightning rod finally couldn't withstand the power of the heavenly lightning and broke.

"Star Pattern!"

Giving a loud command, the Array Patterned Turtle took a deep breath, its head becoming round and bulging.

The next moment.

Countless forest wood auras came from all directions, converging onto the Formation Plate.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"

Fierce winds rose everywhere, and a small vortex even appeared overhead.

The phenomenon didn't last long and eventually dissipated abruptly.

The Formation Plate suddenly emitted a strange Spiritual Pressure, and patterns like forest wood and flashing lightning appeared on the surrounding Formation Flags.

"Quasi-Second Rank Formation, Yi Wood Azure Thunder Formation, complete!"

As if to celebrate this moment, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and the soft glow of the bright moon once again brushed over the land.

Xu Changsheng was in a great mood. A grey light flashed by, and he collected all the Formation Plates and Formation Flags into his Storage Pouch.

He was about to call back the Star Pattern playing nearby.

"Boom~ Boom~ Boom"

A dull and rhythmic tremor calmed Xu Changsheng's mind.

"What's going on?"

Does the earth seem to be moving?

Using the Wind Control Art to fly up, he watched quietly.

After a cup of tea's time.

The vibration stopped.

A new phenomenon arose.

All the surrounding trees, regardless of species, as long as their roots remained, began to move without wind.

Green, golden, and even withered spots of light were forcibly stripped and extracted from the crowns and trunks.

They turned into thousands of flowing lights, merging into surging streams of light that galloped toward the sky.

Where the streams of light converged, the Void Realm began to twist.

Finally, a giant bronze gate suspended in the sky was formed!

Xu Changsheng finally recognized this celestial phenomenon and narrowed his eyes.

This was the prelude to the opening of the Ancient Wood Secret Realm.

Suddenly.

A roar, different from the usual, came from the horizon.

It echoed through the Ancient Wood Mountain Range.

It startled all living beings.

Xu Changsheng showed a look of surprise: "It's the Earth Vein Dao Sound! The Earth Vein Dao Sound that only appears once in a hundred Secret Realm openings!"

Then it turned into wild joy.

Because this Earth Vein Dao Sound meant that an earth-surging Dao spring had appeared in the Ancient Wood Secret Realm.

As long as one absorbed a certain amount of spring water and successfully established their foundation, they could complete the legendary Earth Dao Foundation Establishment.

Lifespan increases by a hundred years!

Dantian capacity increases by thirty percent!

Divine Soul strength increases by thirty percent!

One would directly become a standout among Foundation Establishment peers.

How could this not tempt Xu Changsheng!

Legend has it that above the Earth Dao Foundation Establishment, there is also the Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment, but the former was already enough to satisfy him.

[Todays Intelligence (Silver): Divine Wood Hall]

[In this opening of the Ancient Wood Secret Realm, the Divine Wood Hall, a once-in-a-millennium occurrence, will appear. Entry condition: eighteen secret realm keys.]

"My goodness!"

Xu Changsheng was already overjoyed, but seeing Todays Intelligence, his face turned blank with shock.

Even the legendary Divine Wood Hall had appeared.

He had studied the Ancient Wood Secret Realm deeply, so he naturally knew about this.

Legend has it that in the Divine Wood Hall, Cultivators can use Ancient Wood Secret Realm keys to exchange for various types of divine wood.

Although the intelligence said it was once-in-a-millennium, the last recorded appearance in the archives was actually 9,900 years ago.

"No problem, nine thousand years is also a millennium."

According to the books, no one can accurately predict the appearance of the Divine Wood Hall.

The last time the Divine Wood Hall appeared was when the Ancient Wood Secret Realm was about to end.

At that time, the Cultivators had already used up eighty to ninety percent of their secret realm keys.

The Cultivators at that time pooled their resources and finally managed to scrape together eighteen keys to give to one person to enter on their behalf.

That person eventually brought out a piece of Soul-Nurturing Wood, a fourth-rank spiritual material.

"According to the description in the books, fifth-rank and higher spiritual materials start at twenty-three keys."

Currently, Xu Changsheng had exactly twenty-six secret realm keys on him. Excluding the one for the Hongyun Spirit Spring, he still had twenty-five, which was completely enough for an exchange!

Xu Changsheng's heart raced: "If I can get a piece of fusang divine wood... maybe I really can forge the spirit sword mentioned in the 'Great Sun Fusang Scripture'..."

After a long time.

His mood finally calmed down.

Regardless, he wasn't in the Divine Wood Hall yet, and what would happen then was still unknown.

"Let's go back first."

As he expected.

Donglin Fortress was already bustling with noise.

Countless Cultivators looked up at the sky, their eyes gleaming with a captivating light.

Like countless small lights lit in the dark night.

"An earth-surging golden spring! Haha! My Great Dao is promising!"

"This opening of the Ancient Wood Secret Realm is unusual. The last time this spring appeared, I was still a child."

Xu Changsheng shook his head and returned to the courtyard.

...

In just a few days.

The news of the earth-surging golden spring appearing in the Ancient Wood Secret Realm spread from the Ancient Wood Mountain Range to the Chu State cultivation world, and then to the neighboring countries' cultivation worlds.

Countless Qi Refining Cultivators rushed to the vicinity of the Ancient Wood Secret Realm from all directions.

The number of Loose Cultivators on the streets became visibly larger.

Donglin Fortress was no exception. The prices of the inns in the fortress, which were usually less than one Spirit Stone a day, skyrocketed.

Now, staying for a day actually cost three Spirit Stones, which deterred many poor Loose Cultivators.

What was even more deterring.

The foreign Cultivators who rushed here ahead of time regardless of everything only then found out that the Secret Realm was not open to everyone.

Instead, it required a secret realm key!

The price of this item instantly took off!