36: The withered tree hides its silence, the road ahead is shrouded in uncertainty.
Endless darkness and cold.
Liu Qingtian’s consciousness felt as if it had sunk to the bottom of myriad years of profound ice; he could not perceive time, nor space, only a void of deathly silence and bone-chilling weakness.
It felt like tens of millions of years had passed, yet also like only an instant.
A faint tremor, with great difficulty, arose from the deepest part of the tree stump, which was almost completely withered and indistinguishable from charcoal. It was the half-strand of Origin Essence from the three Golden Body Realm powerhouses, which, after long and slow self-circulation, finally accumulated a tiny bit of power, like a spark trying to ignite this nearly completely dead body.
Consciousness, as if pulled by a thin thread, floated up from the abyss little by little.
Heavy… incomparably heavy… This was Liu Qingtian’s first sensation after regaining consciousness. His tree body felt hollowed out, leaving only a fragile empty shell; every inch of wood transmitted a dry, cracking pain, and the once vast ocean of energy was completely gone. He couldn't even lift the tiniest willow branch.
His tree soul was even dimmer, and his thoughts operated with extreme sluggishness.
He “looked” inward. The spiritual ripple vortex had almost stopped spinning, with only imperceptible fluctuations remaining, and the Myriad World Roots were also withered and dispirited, absorbing Origin at an incredibly slow pace.
The formerly vibrant willow leaf grotto-heaven, where the Qi of Life and Death circulated endlessly, was now a miserable sight. Its space had shrunk by more than half, its interior was dilapidated, and its Laws were in disarray, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Completely drained… The shadow of annihilation's final extraction had almost pushed him to the brink of true death.
However, right at the core of this desolation and deathly silence, in the center of the shrunken willow leaf grotto-heaven, an anomaly drew his remaining attention.
It was an extremely subtle, yet incredibly pure and profound, strand of purplish-black Qi.
It floated there quietly, unmoving, yet it emitted a Concept that made Liu Qingtian's tree soul tremble—the end of all things, the return of all Laws to annihilation; all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows, and will ultimately dissipate into nothingness.
This was… the Qi left behind by that shadow of annihilation?!
Liu Qingtian's heart was greatly shaken. He carefully sensed it and found that this strand of annihilation Qi was not inert; it was like a supreme core, which, though still and unmoving itself, subtly governed the entire grotto-heaven, and even the remaining energy within his damaged tree body.
What shocked him even more was that he discovered that his nearly withered tree body and grotto-heaven had undergone some ineffable change in their essence.
The original tree structure and grotto-heaven barriers, after experiencing the frantic extraction and tearing by the Power of Annihilation, and then enduring the impact of the three Golden Body Realm Origin Energy (even though most of it was drawn away), seemed to have been shattered and then reshaped in a more resilient and purer way.
Just like refined steel, stripped of Impurities, although its volume is reduced and its quantity is less than before, its “quality,” its “density,” and “strength” in carrying energy have been unprecedentedly enhanced!
As long as he could recover, his tree body would be able to store several, even ten, times more spiritual power than before! His willow leaf grotto-heaven would also become more stable, capable of evolving more complex Laws, and its potential would greatly increase!
This undoubtedly broadened his future Dao path and raised the upper limit of the Realm he could reach!
The shadow of annihilation's final plunder had, by a strange twist of fate, performed an extremely cruel, yet astonishingly effective, “tempering” on him?
Liu Qingtian's emotions were extremely complex.
Thank it? Thank it for bringing him to the brink of death, thank it for the almost despair-inducing extraction and pain?
Resent it? Resent it for having the power yet standing by coldly, only acting at the end, and forcing a “transaction” in an almost extortionate manner?
Yet, on the other hand, it did indeed save him—though the method was brutal, it instantly killed three powerful Golden Body Realm enemies and left behind valuable Golden Body Origin Essence (though most was drawn away). It even indirectly helped him temper his Foundation and enhance his potential… This intertwined feeling of gratitude and resentment, benefit and harm, left Liu Qingtian’s tree soul in utter confusion.
He slowly extended his perception outside his body, “looking” at the fierce halberd, burying netherworld, which was stuck in the ground beside him.
It still maintained its ancient, silent appearance, as if everything had nothing to do with it. But beneath its halberd blade, on the ground, at some unknown point, an dark purple scroll had appeared—neither silk nor leather, neither gold nor jade. The scroll's surface had no text, only profound and mysterious patterns resembling halberd marks, emitting faint spatial fluctuations and a… Dao charm of transformation?
Liu Qingtian paused slightly, his consciousness touching the scroll.
Immediately, a stream of information flowed into his tree soul—the Silent Origin Spirit Transformation Secret Chapter.
This was an extremely profound and mysterious transformation secret technique! It wasn't merely a simple illusion of a human form, but a supreme method for truly shedding the shackles of the original body, condensing a Great Dao Law Body, and perfectly aligning with one's own Dao path! Its core Concept subtly resonated with the strand of annihilation Qi within him and the Dao of Annihilation of burying netherworld!
This… was also left by it?
Is it compensation? An investment? Or preparation for better “collecting offerings” in the future?
Liu Qingtian silently looked at the secret technique scroll, then felt the strand of annihilation Qi within him and his expanded potential, and thought about the cold contract of “half an offering for oneTake action.” His heart was filled with mixed emotions.
His life was saved, and the path ahead seemed broader, but he had been burdened with a heavier, more dangerousshackles.
To bargain with a tiger; nothing could be more apt.
What was the true purpose of that shadow of annihilation? Was it merely to harvest his power? Or did it have other designs?
Countless questions swirled in his mind, but there were no answers.
The most urgent task was to survive, to recover his strength.
Liu Qingtian suppressed all complex emotions, only the purest will to survive remained in his tree soul.
He no longer dwelled on grievances and began to fully activate the remaining half-strand of Golden Body Origin Essence, cooperating with the weak absorption of the spiritual ripple vortex, slowly repairing his withered tree body and nourishing his dim tree soul.
The process was slow and painful, like a snail's crawl.
But he could clearly feel that with each circulation of energy, stronger meridians were being reshaped, and a wider “capacity” was being opened up.
Although the strand of annihilation Qi remained still, it was like a stabilizing needle, making the energy circulation more condensed and orderly.
On the charred tree stump, tiny, extremely faint specks of green began to sprout again, with difficulty and stubbornness.
Like the first spark of life struggling out from endless, dead ashes.
The path ahead was obscure and uncertain; blessings and misfortunes were intertwined.
But since he had survived, he must move forward.
Liu Qingtian collected his thoughts and immersed himself in the long process of recovery and Cultivation, while also beginning to comprehend the Silent Origin Spirit Transformation Secret Chapter.
A new journey quietly began in this unfamiliar, desolate land. Only this time, by his side, there was a silent fierce halberd, and within his body, an imprint of annihilation.
What was the true purpose of that shadow of annihilation? Was it merely to harvest his power? Or did it have other designs?