Chapter 840: Chapter 839 Mystery and Weirdness_1
"Could this be the depths of the Mirage Mountain Range?"
Certain that the map was no longer useful, Bai Ruiting curiously surveyed her surroundings.
All around, flowers of brilliant purples and bright reds filled the view. Some were only as large as a palm, while others resembled small huts; some even stood three zhang high, their petals spread wide like giant lotus pods, casting vast shadows...
"Heavens, what kind of flowers are these?"
Qu Ni’s mouth hung open in awe.
There were many extraordinary flowers and exotic fruits in the world, but none so bizarre and plentiful as what they saw before them.
Among the four, Shi Xiaole was the most disturbed.
It suddenly occurred to him that in his previous life, on his original planet, ordinary plants placed in the universe could undergo gene mutations due to radiation and magnetic field influences, leading to dramatic changes in their size and color.
Wasn’t this situation just like the one before him now?
Shi Xiaole’s thoughts then turned to the Blood Battle Plains.
The mysterious green stone hidden underground that birthed countless Mystic Crystal Stones did not seem to belong to this world.
Then there was the massive stone in Peony Town, made of the same material as the green stone. When Shi Xiaole discovered it, someone had violently cut off a portion, leaving behind four words – Immortal Scholar. (Chapter 432)
Shi Xiaole had long suspected that the green stone was the source of the green-haired monsters. And when he thought of the yellow-haired monster from the second barrier of Rainbow State, something seemed ready to emerge.
His mind flashed with thoughts, and Shi Xiaole also remembered the Hundred Flower Paradise. The stone bed of Shi Xuanzhong and his wife, and that Tortoise Shell of Sword Dao, also seemed not of this world.
What other secrets lay hidden behind all these mysteries?
The more he thought about it, the more chaotic his thoughts became, so Shi Xiaole decided to push these questions to the back of his mind. After all, he would certainly figure it out someday.
The group circulated their cultivation to protect themselves, progressing slowly and carefully. Fortunately, the flowers along the way, despite their peculiar appearance, seemed normal otherwise. And so, they walked for half a 2-hour period.
"Stop if you don’t want to die."
Suddenly, an emotionless, icy threatening voice came from behind them.
Qu Ni spun around and saw an old man with crane hair and chicken skin, diminutive in stature, appear three zhang away from them.
The man seemed frail, but his ability to appear so close without a sound indicated terrifying prowess. If he had chosen to strike earlier, who among them could have resisted?
With this thought, Qu Ni’s heart sank, and she smiled, "This humble woman, Qu Ni of Illusion Orchid Tower, greets the elder."
"Trying to scare me with the Illusion Orchid Tower? Heh heh, if Lady Lan were here, it might be somewhat useful, but you, worthy enough?"
A terrifying aura erupted from the old man’s body, sending chills down Qu Ni’s spine.
Divine Barrier Realm Ninth Layer!
Boom!
Seemingly to intimidate the group, the old man reached out towards Qu Ni, his attack—albeit casual—hitting the strength of a middle Eighth Tier, turning tens of thousands of meters of blooming flowers to dust, and leaving the ground bare in an instant.
At a critical moment, a sword light shot forth, successfully piercing through the palm strength and crushing it.
"Youngster, you’re not too bad."
The old man looked at Shi Xiaole with surprise, light flickering in his eyes, "Hand over the map, and I will spare your lives."
Still unsure of Shi Xiaole’s capabilities, the old man’s tone softened somewhat. He had followed them for half a 2-hour period, thinking that they were too foolish to use the map well, and decided to snatch it for his own research.
"Young Master Shi, this person is the Sky-stealing Old Man, a high-ranking Eighth Tier Earth Immortal. A wise man does not eat food that’s in clear danger."
Qu Ni secretly transmitted her voice to Shi Xiaole.
From that one palm strike, she recognized the man’s identity, not without trepidation. Shi Xiaole’s displayed combat power was of the middle Eighth Tier level, and although it seemed only a small tier below the Sky-stealing Old Man...
Bluntly put, the gap between a high Eighth Tier and a middle Eighth Tier was almost greater than between an Eighth Tier and a Seventh Tier. Together, the four of them were no match for him.
Since the map was useless, it might be better to use it to divert the Sky-stealing Old Man’s attention, increasing their chances of escape.
Qu Ni also silently signaled to Bai Ruiting and Sun Wei, not forgetting to elevate her cultivation to its peak. She was ready to act.
"After following for so long, if you hadn’t shown yourself, I wouldn’t have bothered with you."
Shi Xiaole shook his head.
What did that mean?
The others were momentarily puzzled.
"A dead duck is hard to pluck, but I want to see just how much weight you, a braggart, carry."
Determined to teach Shi Xiaole a lesson, the Sky-stealing Old Man’s face turned stern, and he immediately brought his hand down. In the center of his palm, layers of transparent air strength overlapped, causing a disorientation in spatial perception.
It was his signature skill, Sky-stealing Palm!
Bai Ruiting was anxious to move, wanting to help her brother bear the pressure, but she was powerless against the crushing force of the hand strength. She felt trapped in a confined space, completely disoriented.
Qu Ni and Sun Wei were also struggling exceedingly. Caught in shock, they could only watch helplessly as Shi Xiaole became the target. Were they going to suffer such a misfortune upon just entering?
The palm strength pressed down mercilessly, and Shi Xiaole moved very slowly. But strangely, until the Red Left Sword was unsheathed, the palm strength still hadn’t made impact. Instead, a sword light burst forth, piercing through the air with immense speed, striking towards the Sky-stealing Old Man.
"Not good!"
A sudden alarm rose in his heart, and the Sky-stealing Old Man withdrew swiftly to evade. Yet he was still a fraction too slow; his old face was sliced open by the Sword Qi, with fresh blood drifting out.
"Are you also a high-ranking Eighth Tier Earth Immortal?"
Sky-stealing Old Man’s heart was stirred by a stormy surge.
There were many geniuses in Rainbow State, the most notable of whom were the three giants who had achieved the status of Martial Emperor in the Void Origin Realm before the age of one hundred. Below the three giants were six prodigies, each a Ninth Tier, hundred-year-old Earth Immortal.
Shi Xiaole was none of the aforementioned, and since he was so young, Sky-stealing Old Man didn’t pay much attention to him. After all, peerless geniuses weren’t as common as cabbages. Unexpectedly, his opponent turned out to be a high-ranking Eighth Tier Earth Immortal, and clearly stronger than him.
Without answering, Shi Xiaole’s eyes spun like whirlpools, fiercely pulling at Sky-stealing Old Man’s mental power, causing his retreating body to suddenly jerk to a halt.
Taking advantage of the pause, Shi Xiaole seized the opportunity, and the radiance of his sword surged tenfold, thrusting out mightily as if to shatter the heavens, sending out ripples through the fabric of space.
Bang!
Before he could even scream, Sky-stealing Old Man turned into a puff of air.
"Let’s go."
Glancing back, Shi Xiaole sheathed his sword and spoke to the still stunned Bai Ruiting and her two companions.
"Your, your strength?"
Bai Ruiting’s eyes were wide with shock, following Shi Xiaole’s movements, and she couldn’t look away for a long time. She thought she could continually close the gap between them, but the reality was, the distance between them had grown even larger.
At this rate, wouldn’t Shi Xiaole become a top-notch Eighth Tier Earth Immortal within a few years?
Qu Ni took several deep breaths.
With two swords strikes, he had killed a high-ranking Eighth Tier Earth Immortal. She was becoming increasingly curious about Shi Xiaole. She remembered the Sentimental Sword King among the six prodigies, who at fifty-three had top-notch Eighth Tier fighting strength. She wondered how Shi Xiaole compared.
After the initial astonishment, Sun Wei quickly recovered.
He was already accustomed to Shi Xiaole’s strength and surprising feats. In his eyes, Shi Xiaole was no less inferior to the so-called three giants, with only time setting the two apart.
"Good heavens!"
Behind them, three men exchanged glances and bitter smiles. Sky-stealing Old Man had been tracking Shi Xiaole, unaware that he also was being followed.
"Do you think that kid, has he noticed us?"
"Impossible, our art of stealth, even peak Earth Immortals might not detect it. But that kid really has some amazing tricks. Don’t mess with him if it’s not necessary! I have a premonition; if this child develops smoothly, I’m afraid he’ll be another giant character..."
Shi Xiaole and his group continued to move forward.
In the distance, a pink sea of flowers came into view, making Shi Xiaole abruptly come to a halt, his composure almost slipping despite his usual calm demeanor.
Transformation Flower!
He had not mistaken it, those were Transformation Flowers.
Originally, Shi Xiaole was captured by Bai Xueying of Spring Wind Hell and pursued by Lu Zixiong, forcing him to flee into a pink miasma and mistakenly entering Boundless Flower Prison.
Under the influence of Transformation Flowers, Shi Xiaole’s powers had once been completely dissipated. If he had not timely drawn the Life and Death Four Transformations secret technique, it would be hard to say if he would have escaped from Divine Transformation City.
The shock had not ended yet. Taking a long detour, a large swath of red flowers, similar in shape to the Transformation Flowers but of a deeper color, appeared.
"Mutation Transformation Flowers!"
His mind exploded with a bang.
Shi Xiaole clearly remembered that Mutation Transformation Flowers were not naturally formed but were cultivated by humans. That person had once lived under the Divine Transformation Tree and had sworn to eradicate the world’s martial artists! (More details in Chapter 466)
From the hints left by that person, he should have gone to Sky Mountain, so how could the Mutation Transformation Flowers appear here?
As his encounters deepened, the mysterious aura of Rainbow Island in Shi Xiaole’s heart had not faded but grown even thicker.
Shi Xiaole still had some seeds of the Mutation Transformation Flower that could resist the effects of the flowers, but their effect wouldn’t last long. After much consideration, he ultimately didn’t dare to explore further.
Bai Ruiting and her companions didn’t understand why Shi Xiaole kept such a beautiful sea of flowers at arm’s length, but having already been in awe of him, they naturally had no objections.
Moving cautiously for three days, they finally emerged from the sea of flowers. Ahead, a series of green mountains and clear waters greeted them—cascading waterfalls and unusually fresh air.
But the more serene it was, the more vigilant the group became.
"Look over there quickly!"
Suddenly, Sun Wei pointed to a nearby peak, his face flushed red.
The mountain was unremarkable, but at the top grew a crystal-clear, glowing tree with sparse branches extending outward, on the ends of which hung heavy fruits.
The fruit could not be defined by ordinary colors, as its color changed constantly from different angles. Strands of its aura drifted out, seemingly enhancing cognitive abilities.
"Enlightenment Fruit!"
The group exchanged glances, their hearts stirred with excitement as they rushed towards it without hesitation.
In midair, Bai Ruiting reached for one of the fruits, but it flew off automatically, out of control.
"Legend has it that Enlightenment Fruit is touched by the strange forces of heaven and earth and is especially sensitive to Vigorous Air. It seems to be true."
Bai Ruiting was even more excited, exerting her full strength to grab the fruit suspended in the air.
Qu Ni and Sun Wei were not to be outdone either.
Shi Xiaole boosted his power to its fullest, concealed his aura, and swiftly moved to the side of a branch, attempting to grab with the force of his flesh. However, he caught nothing.
When he looked again at the other three, they had already been lured away by their respective Enlightenment Fruits, quite far apart. Shi Xiaole cried out suddenly, "It’s fake, come back!"
The three seemed not to hear.
Shi Xiaole took a step forward, the scenery before his eyes changed rapidly. Where was the Enlightenment Tree, where were the Enlightenment Fruits? They were just a dense crowd of towering trees.
