Chapter 277: Controlling the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree

Jiuyou's thoughts raced, his attention fixed on Xuan Zhenzi's actions beside him. In the blink of an eye, Xuan Zhenzi had firmly seized control of half the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree. Spiritual light and iridescent clouds surged across the towering tree's upper half. Myriad streams of pure wood-attribute spiritual energy intertwined into a radiant spectacle. Silent for so long, the Heaven-grade Spiritual Treasure once again radiated a vast, boundless origin pressure.

"The matter is settled. I have fulfilled my promise to you, so now it is your turn to honor our agreement."

Wang Xunzhen's voice drifted through the layers of the spatial array, carrying a hint of suppressed impatience. Although he was currently locked down by Jiuyou's spatial restrictions, he was by no means powerless to break free. Given his foundation as an Upper Realm soul remnant, tearing through a Lower Realm formation would take but an instant if he struck with his full strength.

Yet deep reservations kept him from acting rashly. Having just forcefully devoured origin power of the same source, the two forces within him were still clashing in a stalemate. Until they were thoroughly refined and stabilized, the slightest misstep risked an origin-power backlash. Even more concerning were Jiuyou and that bizarre artifact spirit—their methods were unfathomable, their murderous intent hidden.

If he exhausted his strength breaking the array only to suffer a sudden sneak attack from them, that untamed sliver of homologous origin power within him would very likely exploit the vulnerability. It could reverse their roles as host and guest, replacing his soul remnant instead. He absolutely dared not risk such a peril—one that would end in his body perishing and Dao vanishing, only to benefit someone else.

Hearing this, Jiuyou seemed to snap out of his daze and replied nonchalantly, "I nearly forgot Daoist Wang was here."

The casual remark lacked any hint of respect. Falling upon Wang Xunzhen's ears, it instantly darkened his expression and sparked a flare of hidden anger. In his eyes, as the soul remnant of a mighty figure from the Upper Realm, he was not someone an ordinary cultivator could casually insult, even stranded in the Lower Realm. Yet Jiuyou's attitude made it abundantly clear that he had never viewed him as an equal, treating him instead with idle amusement.

Jiuyou sighed helplessly to himself. His entire focus had been fixated on Xuan Zhenzi's control of the sacred tree, closely monitoring the shifting situation. Distracted for a moment, he genuinely had forgotten all about the trapped Wang Xunzhen.

"Set your mind at ease, Daoist." Jiuyou's expression remained indifferent, his tone calm and steady, naturally carrying the dignified air of a Righteous Path cultivator. "Standing amidst the Righteous Path as I do now, I harbor nothing but disdain for treachery and going back on one's word. Since I made a promise, I will naturally see it through."

Before his words even faded, Jiuyou willed it so, remotely activating the Heaven and Earth Ring hovering in midair. The Heaven-grade Spiritual Treasure retracted its spiritual light, instantly cutting off the continuous stream of spiritual energy feeding the spatial array.

With the formation's lifeblood suddenly severed, the restrictive light barrier sealing the surrounding void dimmed. The overlapping layers of spatial binding power rapidly weakened and dissipated.

Wang Xunzhen's gaze focused, immediately seizing upon the fleeting flaw. Without a moment's hesitation, his body trembled slightly, erupting with a strand of pure origin power that smashed through the array's lingering shackles, allowing him to step free with ease.

Once freed, he fully retracted the hostility and sharp edge in his eyes, shedding his previous oppressive aura. Wearing a fake, superficial smile, he looked at Jiuyou and slowly said, "Daoist Jiuyou truly is a man of your word. Since you treat me with such sincerity, I will set off at once to find an opportunity to slay Yuan Huang's remaining spirit body. I will retrieve his Primordial Spirit and deliver it to you. I shall linger here no longer."

After speaking, Wang Xunzhen slowly backed away. His eyes remained locked firmly on Jiuyou, the vigilance in his gaze undiminished. He didn't dare lower his guard in the slightest. He knew all too well that this bastard before him was no easy target, and he wasn't about to act recklessly just because he was free.

A moment later, he blurred into motion, stepping straight into a pitch-black spatial tear behind him. His aura vanished entirely as he disappeared from the Heavenly Origin Sacred Tree Secret Realm.

Wang Xunzhen had his own calculations in mind, entirely unafraid that Jiuyou might seize the chance to monopolize the Tian Yuan Secret Realm. He prided himself on his Upper Realm origins; his insight, experience, and foundational cultivation vastly exceeded anything born to this world. Even though he had fallen to the Lower Realm as a mere soul remnant and lost most of his cultivation, his trump-card supreme secret arts remained. In this low-tier world, absolutely no one could snatch a fortuitous treasure from his hands.

Even though Jiuyou held a Heaven-grade Spiritual Treasure like the Heaven and Earth Ring and had an artifact spirit assisting him, there was still nothing to fear. In his understanding, Lower Realm cultivators had shallow foundations. It was simply impossible for them to thoroughly control a top-tier Spirit Treasure like the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree in such a short amount of time.

If Jiuyou and that spirit dared to forcefully tap into the sacred tree's origin power and seize the secret realm's authority, he would sense it instantly even from afar and return in the blink of an eye. Therefore, he was certain that no matter what schemes Jiuyou harbored, he lacked the capability to steal the secret realm's fortuitous encounter right from under his nose.

Although Jiuyou's previous actions had repeatedly shattered his expectations and delivered quite a few shocking surprises, deep down, Wang Xunzhen still didn't truly take him seriously. He had long since made up his mind: once the origin power in his body was completely refined and his cultivation slightly recovered, he would definitely return to the sacred tree's space. He would grind Jiuyou's bones to dust, scatter his ashes, and snatch his Heaven-grade Spiritual Treasure. Then, relying on the secret realm's power to nourish his soul and solidify his foundation, he would restore his fearsome reputation upon returning to the Upper Realm. He would make the Returning Spirit Domain remember the name Wang Xunzhen once more.

Jiuyou stood in place, quietly watching the spatial tear seal shut. Throughout the entire process, his expression remained placid, showing not the slightest intent to stop the man or go back on his word.

He knew perfectly well that Wang Xunzhen was harboring a ghost fetus in his heart and hiding malicious intentions, yet he still let him go as agreed. Aside from abiding by his own promise, the more critical reason was Xuan Zhenzi within the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree.

Xuan Zhenzi's identity was questionable, and it was hard to tell if his actions were genuine or fake, leaving Jiuyou constantly on guard. Keeping Wang Xunzhen around created a delicate three-way balance of power. With everyone checking and fearing each other, no one would dare launch a rash attack.

If Xuan Zhenzi harbored ulterior motives, Wang Xunzhen served as an excellent counterweight. But if Xuan Zhenzi's intentions were pure and he truly meant to cooperate, then leaving the wildly ambitious Wang Xunzhen inside the secret realm would ultimately be a hidden danger. Sending him away like this would instead make it easier for the two of them to completely control the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree later.

At this thought, a subtle light flashed deep in Jiuyou's eyes, and his internal vigilance spiked even higher.

Ever since they had joined forces, aside from his most absolute trump card—the Little Green Bottle kept close to his body—nearly all of his cultivation, divine abilities, and secrets had been observed and uncovered by Xuan Zhenzi. If this person was harboring double-crossing intentions and plotting in the shadows, the consequences would be unimaginable. It would undoubtedly result in an irreversible catastrophe.

Fortunately, earlier when Xuan Zhenzi had proposed body seizing Yuan Huang's flesh, he had decisively refused, preventing any hidden dangers from taking root.

Right now, Xuan Zhenzi was still highly useful, an indispensable aid in controlling the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree. Unless absolutely forced, he could not afford to tear up all pretense of cordiality and completely break ties with him.

Just as Jiuyou was pondering and weighing the pros and cons, Xuan Zhenzi's secret voice transmission suddenly rang in his ears. His tone was low and obscure, ensuring not a single syllable leaked out. "Brat, stop staring blankly. I have now securely taken control of half the Heavenly Abyss Sacred Tree, along with authority over half the secret realm. However, the other half of the sacred tree's origin power and half the realm's control remain in Wang Xunzhen's hands. If I forcefully strike to seize control right now, the commotion will be too massive. He would detect it instantly, and the losses would outweigh the gains."

Pausing briefly, Xuan Zhenzi's tone suddenly gained a measure of cunning and immense confidence. "However, the two of us can simply wait and watch for our chance. If that Wang Xunzhen harbors malicious intentions and dares to launch a sneak attack while we're distracted, I will seize the momentum to forcefully snatch the remaining authority, catching him completely off guard. At that time, with the two of us—master and disciple—joining forces, supported by the entire Tian Yuan Secret Realm, a mere Upper Realm soul remnant whose foundation is mostly ruined won't be anything to fear. Even with his secret arts, he'll be utterly at our mercy."

Reaching the peak of his pride, Xuan Zhenzi could no longer contain himself. He let out a low chuckle entirely unbefitting the demeanor of a Righteous Path cultivator, steeped in the guile of a successful schemer.

Hearing this, Jiuyou coughed lightly to serve as a reminder. Only then did Xuan Zhenzi reel in his slip of composure, cutting off his laughter and restoring his usual unfathomable facade.

A slight ripple went through Jiuyou's mind. 'Could it be that I was overthinking things earlier and wrongly blamed him?' he wondered.

Numerous distracting thoughts flashed across his mind, only to be suppressed in the blink of an eye. On the path of cultivation, eternal suspicion and extreme caution were paramount. Baseless speculation could never compare to what one saw with their own eyes.

At least for the moment, Xuan Zhenzi's interests aligned with his own. He was a reliable partner, one who was immensely beneficial to his goals of controlling the secret realm and snatching the sacred tree's fortuitous encounter.

Yet the vigilance in his heart hadn't lessened by a single fraction. This cooperation and trust would always remain bound by an absolute bottom line.

As long as Xuan Zhenzi showed even half a hint of abnormality or hid the slightest trace of treachery, Jiuyou would strike decisively and preemptively. He would harbor no wishful thinking and show no misplaced mercy.

Having experienced a thousand years of cultivation and several life-and-death tribulations to reach this day, he valued his life more than ever before. He planned every move before acting and snuffed out dangers before they arose. He absolutely would not leave any fatal hidden dangers lying around.