347: Chapter 347 The Immortal Wutong Tree, Marked

On the journey, Chu Sheng finally had time to carefully examine the fragment.

He took the fragment out of his pack, held it in his palm, and scrutinized it under the faint spiritual light of the night.

The fragment was heavier than expected, its surface shimmering with an irregular glazed luster, as if something was slowly flowing within it.

He tentatively injected a wisp of spiritual power into it; the fragment heated up slightly before returning to stillness.

But that momentary feedback gave Chu Sheng an idea.

The texture of this fragment was purer than any Magical Artifact he had used before.

The sea-suppressing cauldron was a Low Grade Magical Artifact, and the four swords of zhuxian were imitations; although they possessed considerable power when unleashed together, in terms of material and spirituality alone, they were clearly a cut below this fragment.

His expression didn't change much, but he had already formed a rough judgment in his mind: the monk hadn't told the whole truth.

This complete Magical Artifact was likely of a higher grade than the "High Grade Magical Artifact" he had previously guessed.

Jiuer, beside him, also noticed his silence. Her gaze fell on the fragment in his palm, and her tone carried a hint of seriousness.

"This quality is indeed not what one would expect from an ordinary High Grade Magical Artifact."

Chu Sheng wrapped the fragment back up, put it into his Storage Pouch, and a touch of helplessness appeared on his face.

"That monk didn't tell the truth, and he left a backup plan. This token was likely a lure from the very beginning."

He lowered his head to inspect the token and, sure enough, discovered a trace of extremely faint, almost imperceptible residual Buddha light at the seal.

That ray of light was extremely faint; if one didn't investigate carefully, it would be easily overlooked.

"I have been marked."

His tone was very calm, as if stating a fact that had already occurred.

"From the moment I accepted this token, the Wanfo Sect has been able to sense my general location."

Jiuer didn't show an expression of surprise, as if she had long anticipated this layer.

"So you are now a living waypoint for the Wanfo Sect."

Her tone carried a hint of subtle mockery.

Chu Sheng shook his head with a bitter smile: "Then tell me, should I keep this thing or not?"

Jiuer answered very decisively: "Keep it. Because it's already too late. The mark was planted long ago; from the moment we obtained the passage, it was impossible not to be noticed. If you throw it away now, it will only let the people of the Buddha Sect know that you have realized it, and then they will act in advance."

Chu Sheng was silent for a moment, then put the fragment and the token away again.

"You are right. Keeping it at least allows us to maintain the initiative."

He paused, as if remembering something, his tone carrying a touch of complex emotion.

"Back then, when the Heavenly Demon Ancestor was wanted, he was only dealing with those top Sects in the Central Region. I haven't even reached the Divine Ability realm yet, and I've already made enemies with three giants of the Central Region."

Jiuer glanced at him; her tone was flat but carried a hint of seriousness.

"Things have reached this point, just deal with it as it comes."

The two did not continue this topic but instead quickened their pace.

After three days and two nights of traveling, they had crossed most of the central region of the Western Territory.

The landscape changed from wetlands to hills, and then from hills to vast volcanic belts.

From afar, one could see a colossal tree reaching into the sky standing between heaven and earth at the skyline, as if it had grown there since ancient times.

That was the habitat of the Phoenix clan.

The Undying Wutong.

A Rank 9 top grade spiritual plant.

Its canopy obscured the sky for dozens of miles, its branches extending in all directions like massive mountain ranges, each leaf glowing with a faint golden light, emitting a low rustling sound in the wind.

Chu Sheng stopped walking, looked up at the giant tree, and was silent for a moment.

"For a spiritual plant of this grade, just a single leaf taken outside would be enough to make Cultivators of the Dao Palace Realm fight over it."

Jiuer stood beside him, her gaze also falling on the giant tree, and nodded.

"It's not just the leaves. It is said that its sap can temper the Physical Body, its bark can be used to refine defensive heaven rank magic treasure, and even its fallen dead branches are excellent Materials for refining high-level magic arrays."

Chu Sheng didn't say anything more and stepped toward the direction of the giant tree.

In the depths of his Storage Pouch, the fragment lay quietly in a corner, along with the token that had already been opened, as if forgotten in a corner, waiting only to be touched again.

And further away, a long road led straight to the towering, magnificent Wutong giant tree.

The habitat of the Phoenix clan was already close at hand.