Chapter 1284 : Emberfire Mulberry Tree

Eldrin (Person Name) furrowed his brow slightly as well, for by now he had come to understand.

When the Setting Sun Patriarch attacked the Return-to-Emptiness Blessed Realm, he must have stationed at least 1 immortal to guard this Setting Sun Blessed Realm.

After detecting that the Setting Sun Elder's Soul Lamp had been extinguished, that immortal immediately plundered all the treasures from the Setting Sun Blessed Realm and had long since fled beyond reach.

"All that way for nothing."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, his expression cooling as he pressed deeper into the Sunset Blessed Realm. Before long, at the heart of the sanctuary, he discovered 5 colossal ancient trees that seemed to prop up the very sky.

"Sky-Reaching Wood, Grand Mystery Pine, Evergreen Cypress, Netherworld Ancient Scholar Tree, and Dying Sun Fire Mulberry Tree." The moment they laid eyes on these 5 ancient trees, the immortals and deities could not contain their ecstatic expressions.

Eldrin furrowed his brow slightly, noticing that the ancient trees before him were all Postheaven Spiritual Roots. The first 4 were high-grade Postheaven Spiritual Roots, while the Sunset Fire Mulberry stood as a supreme-grade Postheaven Spiritual Root.

It was evident that these ancient spiritual roots had all been procured by the Setting Sun Patriarch for the Oblique Sun Daoist to unlock his Heavenly Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root).

That Setting Sun Fire Mulberry Tree was the most unique of all, seemingly a supreme immortal root born from the rules within the Setting Sun Blessed Land.

As the key to the creation of heaven and earth, the Setting Sun Patriarch had preserved these few Heaven and Earth Spiritual Roots (Spiritual Root) with utmost care.

He had deliberately set up a protective formation that could only be opened by Patriarch Setting Sun and Patriarch Slanting Sun, which was why it hadn’t been plundered by the immortal left behind to guard the place.

For the Quasi-Earth Immortals present, the significance of the 4-level Heaven Pillar was self-evident.

They joined forces 1 after another, intent on breaking through this formation to seize the 4 or 5 stalks of Heavenly Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root). Under their combined efforts, it did not take long before they shattered the formation.

"Attack!"

The instant the formation shattered, the 4 half-step Earth Immortals struck simultaneously, moving with flawless coordination as they launched their assault toward Eldrin.

The 4 of them were well aware that the greatest threat here was Eldrin (Person Name), so they immediately joined forces to attack him.

"Overestimating your own capabilities."

Facing the assaults of several individuals, Eldrin had already anticipated this in his heart.

With a mere flick of his sleeve, the Yin-Yang Polarity Beads intercepted the assaults of several supreme-grade immortal treasures. Then, the Heaven-Sundering Twin Swords weaved through the air in a crisscross pattern, deflecting every technique unleashed by the assembled adversaries.

Now, Eldrin's strength was far beyond what it used to be. Even if 4 Half-Step Earth Immortals were to join forces against him, he would not be at a disadvantage in the slightest.

"How could he be this powerful?"

Witnessing Eldrin hold his ground against 4 opponents without showing the slightest sign of faltering, the 4 of them felt a faint stir of astonishment in their hearts.

They exchanged glances, realizing that victory in this battle was likely beyond reach, and found themselves caught in a dilemma.

Seeing this, a faint glimmer flickered in Eldrin's eyes as he looked at Daoist Tianxu and said, "If you refrain from intervening, out of kinship as fellow humans, I shall permit you to take 1 top-grade Post-Heavenly Spiritual Root and leave."

"Damn it!"

The Sky Demon King and the 2 half-step Earth Immortals of the Avian Tribe felt their hearts drop upon hearing this, inwardly cursing, "This is bad."

Sure enough, a glimmer of desire flashed in Daoist Tianxu's eyes.

He knew full well that Eldrin's current strength allowed him to hold his own against 4 opponents without faltering. Should the battle continue, however, it would likely descend into a grueling stalemate.

Moreover, even if he were to prevail in the struggle, he would have to share the treasures with the Sky Demon King and the 2 celestial beings of the Avian Tribe. In the end, what he might obtain would likely not exceed a single superior-grade Post-Heavenly Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root).

Yet if 1 were to fail, not only would they gain nothing, but they might also face the peril of falling. Rather than fighting to the death, it would be wiser to first divide the treasures.

At this thought, a surge of irresistible longing swelled within Daoist Tianxu’s heart, and his resolve solidified.

Seeing the expression on Daoist Tianxu’s face, the Heavenly Demon King immediately spoke up anxiously, "Do not allow yourself to be divided by the Daoist of the Returning Abyss, esteemed sir."

"If the 4 of us do not join forces, we stand no chance against this Elder of the Returning Abyss. Do you not fear being defeated 1 by 1?"

Tianxu Daoist (Person Name) let out a cold laugh upon hearing this. "Though I have never crossed paths with Fellow Daoist Guixu (Person Name), I am not unfamiliar with his reputation."

"In these surrounding seas, who does not know that the Eldrin is ever just and a man of his word?"

"On the contrary, it is you, Heavenly Demon King, whom I must guard against even as we join forces—lest you stab me in the back when I least expect it."

As the words faded, Daoist Tianxu cupped his hands toward Eldrin, then retrieved the 'Evergreen Cypress' from the spiritual roots and departed.

Seeing this, Eldrin gave a slight nod before channeling his immortal treasure's divine power to continue assaulting the trio.

Maintaining a good reputation is no easy feat, and the importance of a sterling name becomes undeniably clear in this very moment.

In just a few words, he managed to divide the 4 Half-Step Earth Immortals, which also had much to do with Eldrin's (Person Name) reputation.

Over the years, he had always conceded a fair share of profits to his collaborators and handled the distribution of resources with impartiality.

Even when faced with supreme treasures like the Starry Cosmos Ancient Bell and the Setting Sun Heavenly Wheel, he would restrain his greed, unknowingly winning over many hearts and establishing his reputation far and wide.

With this established credibility, not only were his old friends willing to collaborate with him unconditionally, but even Daoist Tianxu, whom he had just met, trusted Eldrin's (Person Name) promise without hesitation.

With 1 less opponent in the form of Sky Dawn Taoist, Eldrin immediately felt the pressure lessen considerably. Freed up to focus on his opponents once more, he now completely overwhelmed the remaining 3.

After just over a 100 exchanges, the Sky Demon King's expression grew increasingly grim. He realized that unwittingly, the 3 of them had fallen completely into a disadvantageous position, and a flicker of retreat crossed his mind.

After a moment of contemplation, the Sky Demon King cast a pained glance at the 5 spiritual roots before abruptly leveraging the momentum to propel himself backward, soaring toward the distant sea.

"This is bad."

The Sky Demon King's sudden appearance made the hearts of the 2 Half-Step Earth Immortal ancestors from the Avian Tribe sink.

They felt their hairs stand on end and immediately darted toward the distant void. *Clang!*

In an instant, a sword’s keen cry pierced the heavens and the earth.

But then Eldrin’s eyes snapped wide open. Seizing the moment, he channeled his power into the Celestial Severance Twin Swords, merging them into a single strike that shot toward the man of the Avian Tribe.

Witnessing the Heaven Union Slash strike down, the feathered man hastily activated his supreme-grade immortal treasure to block. Yet how could it possibly withstand the combined might of the Heaven Union Slash?

Yet in that fleeting moment, his protective treasure was shattered by a single sword strike, and his physical body was instantly annihilated.

Ah!

一声惨叫之后，那羽人男子元神逃出，向着远处逃命而去。

But Eldrin had long been prepared. The 5-colored divine light instantly swept across the sky, seizing his primordial spirit.

"Save me!"

At this life-or-death moment, the feathered man cried out in terror.

Yet the female Eldrin did not hesitate in the slightest. Without so much as a backward glance, she soared toward the depths of the void, vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Clang!

In that very instant, the Heaven-Severing Twin Swords annihilated the feathered man’s primordial spirit.

In an instant, the light of cosmic principles showered the heavens and earth as the feathered man’s primordial spirit and physical form began dissolving into the Dao.

As everything faded away, only the Supreme Dao Origin remained, along with a supreme immortal treasure—the 'Azure Feather Immortal Wings'.

"What a pity."

Eldrin took a glance at the Supreme Dao Origin and couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

Chapter 1: The Azure Cloud Sect's Disciple Recruitment The mountain peaks pierced the clouds like celestial swords, shrouded in swirling mists where occasional golden light shimmered—the telltale sign of protective formations. On the winding mountain path, a steady stream of youths climbed upward, their faces etched with anticipation and reverence. Lin Xuan adjusted his coarse hemp robe, his gaze sweeping over the majestic mountain gate ahead. Carved from pristine white jade, it bore 3 imposing characters: Azure Cloud Sect. "Finally... I'm here," he murmured, his fingers unconsciously brushing against the simple bronze ring on his hand. "Hey, country bumpkin! Stop blocking the way!" A shove came from behind, nearly making him stumble. Lin Xuan turned to see a richly dressed young man flanked by 2 attendants. Without a word, he stepped aside, his eyes calm. "Hmph, someone like you thinks they can join the Azure Cloud Sect?" The young man flicked his sleeve disdainfully and strode forward. Ignoring the provocation, Lin Xuan continued his ascent. After 3 months of arduous travel, crossing 3 mortal kingdoms, he had finally reached this destination. At the mountain gate, an azure-robed elder stood with hands clasped behind his back, his aura profound and unfathomable. Dozens of sect disciples in blue uniforms maintained order nearby. "All aspiring disciples, form a line for spiritual root testing!" A disciple's voice, amplified by spiritual power, echoed across the mountainside. The crowd quickly queued up. Lin Xuan found his place at the rear, observing the testing process ahead. A youth stepped forward and placed his hand on the crystal ball. Faint yellow light flickered weakly. "Fifth-grade earth spiritual root, inferior quality. Failed!" The elder declared impassively. The youth's face fell in despair. Next came the richly dressed young man from earlier. As his hand touched the crystal, vibrant green light burst forth, so intense it nearly blinded the onlookers. "Heavenly! First-grade wood spiritual root!" Exclamations of shock rippled through the crowd. The elder's eyes finally showed a flicker of approval. "Excellent talent. Step aside and wait." The young man cast a triumphant glance at Lin Xuan before moving aside. Soon, it was Lin Xuan's turn. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his palm against the crystal sphere. Silence. The crystal remained completely dark, showing no reaction whatsoever. "How is this possible?" The testing disciple frowned. "No spiritual root at all?" Just as the elder was about to announce the result, a blinding golden light suddenly erupted from the crystal, so brilliant it illuminated the entire mountaintop. The radiance coalesced into a faint golden dragon that circled once around Lin Xuan before dissipating. "This... this is the legendary Chaos Spiritual Root!" The elder's voice trembled with disbelief. The entire scene fell into dead silence. Lin Xuan looked at his palm, then at the bronze ring on his finger that was now faintly warm. It seemed the mysterious artifact his grandfather had left him before his passing was far more extraordinary than he had imagined.