125: Chapter 125 The Source of Corrosive Qi?

Golden Sands Land.

The vast sea of sand, once dead and dim yellow, had now descended into a crimson purgatory.

As far as the eye could see, the firmament no longer existed, having been completely replaced by a massive, dark red web.

This was a colossal canopy that covered the entire northwestern territory of the Qing State!

The main trunk supporting this sky-like canopy had a diameter far exceeding several miles.

The dark red bark was covered in cracks, and deep within the fissures, viscous, filthy blood flowed faintly.

Countless pitch-black roots, thick as coiling dragons, were intertwined at the base of the trunk, driving deep into the already riddled earth veins.

Some of the roots were exceptionally thick, resembling rising mountain ridges, carving out massive ravines over a thousand zhang deep.

Countless branches whipped and stirred the space. The knotted roots danced wildly on the surface and in the air. Each movement whipped up a viscous, crimson erosion qi wind, sweeping out in all directions.

The sky was thoroughly dyed in a congealed, dark red color.

The erosion qi, like a tangible tide, rippled outward in circles, and everything it touched emitted a sizzling sound of dissolution.

Beneath the crimson canopy, a tiny, dark green figure swayed precariously.

Mo Tong's tight-fitting scale armor was damaged in many places, stained with dark red filth, and the faintly visible dark green patterns on her arms flickered on and off.

Her face was filled with astonishment and bewilderment!

Just a moment ago, she had still been at the edge of that massive cavern deep underground, painstakingly attempting to charge through the Bottleneck of the second level of the Void Tempering with the help of the pressure overflowing from the Sacred Tree.

Although that pressure was terrifying, it had been orderly and restrained.

However, without any warning, a violent force thousands of times greater than before suddenly erupted!

She hadn't even had time to react before she was blasted out from the depths of the earth by that terrifying energy!

"What is going on..."

Mo Tong's pupils contracted as she stared in disbelief at the terrifying scene before her, which completely exceeded her expectations.

"Why is it like this?! The Sacred Tree... The Sacred Tree should still be two months away from maturing, and it shouldn't be condensing a projection at all!"

Her original plan had been to wait for the Sacred Tree to mature, while simultaneously using the power overflowing from its maturation to break through to the third level of the Void Tempering.

This was also one of the reasons the Palace Master had sent her; it was a reward!

Now, her expectations for breaking through the Bottleneck had all been shattered by this sudden, drastic change!

If things went poorly, it might even alarm certain existences in the Cangwu Province!

...

Ling Hao transformed into a streak of light that tore through the sky, shooting straight toward the Golden Sands Land against the surging torrent of the Erosion Tide.

Soon, Ling Hao entered the coverage area of the canopy projection.

The scenes along the way were shocking.

The ground was left with large black holes, identical to the ones before.

The crimson erosion qi, so viscous it could not be dissolved, condensed high in the sky into black, poisonous rain that emitted a pungent, fishy odor, falling in a drizzle and eroding the land into a riddled mess, sending up corrosive white smoke.

Cultivators' bodies twisted and mutated amidst their shrill screams, their eyes turning crimson as they became Erosion Demons; Yao Beasts' bones deformed and expanded, their scales stained with filthy black, turning them into violent Erosion Beasts that tore and devoured without distinguishing friend from foe.

They gathered into a torrent, most of them heading in the direction of Qingxiao Mountain.

"Strange, why are they all heading east? Is there something attracting the Erosion Beasts?"

Ling Hao's Divine Thought swept over, sensing that several powerful auras were all heading east, a few of which had clearly reached the fourth rank (Nascent Soul), while only a few Erosion Beast Tides were rushing toward the Moonshadow Sect.

Ling Hao's eyes turned slightly cold, but he did not stop his pace.

With Yu Lingshuang guarding the Sect, and the tower of laws and numerous Disciples, they were capable of handling it.

He flicked his finger casually, and an invisible ripple instantly crossed space, annihilating another hideous Erosion Beast that emitted sixth-rank (Body Integration) fluctuations.

"Sixth-rank Erosion Beasts have already appeared. I've learned enough; I must act quickly—"

Ling Hao tore through the Void Realm directly and stepped in; when he appeared again, he was already hovering above the Golden Sands Land.

Looking up, the crimson giant tree that covered the northwestern territory was now close at hand, its massive material presence bringing an unparalleled sense of oppression.

Under the shroud of the canopy, space appeared unnaturally twisted, and the violent energy turbulence was enough to crush and tear apart the Physical Body of an ordinary Cultivator at the Void Refinement Stage!

Only those at the Void Refinement Stage could barely hold on under this congealed, dark red sky.

Ling Hao frowned slightly, and with a thought, a trace of profound brilliance welled up deep within his eyes.

The scene before him instantly stripped away its facade in his eyes.

On the sandy ground below, a crimson sapling only as tall as a person suddenly appeared!

The sapling's entire body was like congealed, filthy blood, emitting a faint, dark red glow.

Its main trunk was not thick, but it was knotted and powerful.

At the tip of the branches was a half-open, half-closed dark red bud, a pigeon-egg-sized object that faintly emitted a heart-palpitating blood-colored light.

A thick main root was driven deep into the earth, though it was unknown what it was connected to.

And countless secondary roots, fine as a spider web, were spreading and burrowing in all directions like living things.

These roots not only pierced through thick rock layers, but a considerable portion had already extended to the surface, frantically absorbing the Spiritual Qi and blood energy from the sea of sand.

The absorbed Spiritual Qi and blood energy were rapidly converted as they flowed through the veins of the sapling's main trunk and roots.

The converted crimson erosion qi constantly dissipated from the roots, canopy, and even that half-open bud, merging into the surrounding, churning erosion qi storm.

"Is this the source of the erosion qi?"

Ling Hao whispered to himself, his tone carrying an indescribable absurdity, "This... why does it look so much like... photosynthesis, using 'Spiritual Qi' as raw material and 'erosion qi' as waste gas?"

"Spiritual Qi for erosion qi... erosion qi... Erosion Tide...?"

He then shook his head, his gaze sharp, "No! Even so, this sapling alone could never convert the Spiritual Qi of the entire Three Provinces Realm! Although its roots are massive, they are far from reaching the extent of covering the three provinces!"

Suddenly, Ling Hao's gaze was like lightning, locking onto a space above a sand dune in the distance, and a cold, chilling smile curled the corners of his lips:

"Why are you leaving so quickly? Won't you come and explain this to this Seat first?"

Where his gaze fell, the space rippled slightly, and a dark green figure slowly emerged.