Chapter 1408 - 645: Beyond the World Tree_2

"You old thing, don’t go too far." The Great Elder instantly flared up in anger—this was completely stripping him of face right in front of a junior.

"Alright, alright!"

Chen Xuan also had a headache. The two of them, add their ages together and who knows how big the number is, yet they’re still acting like children.

"The World Tree is indeed different from ordinary things. I tried before, but there wasn’t the slightest reaction."

He’d already had this idea back when he was in the Emperor Realm.

He’d tried, but the World Tree didn’t react. After that he went into seclusion, so he never tried again.

"According to your meaning, only Late-Stage Emperor Realm barely qualifies?"

"This old man feels that’s enough—but only in your case!"

"What do you mean?"

The Great Elder asked.

But Chen Xuan more or less understood; it should be a matter of talent.

Of course, if your strength is too weak, talent alone is useless.

"Got it."

"Mm!" The old man nodded in satisfaction, and at the same time didn’t forget to cast a disdainful glance at the Great Elder. Then he spoke again, "If it works, with the World Tree’s help, you might reach Emperor Realm Perfection even faster."

"And also this..."

A black jar appeared in the old man’s hand, which he passed to Chen Xuan. "Inside is a strand of purple qi. This old man doesn’t know exactly what it is, but to communicate with these top-tier Spiritual Objects, you’ll need it."

Purple qi?

Chen Xuan froze for a moment. "Brought down from the Upper Domain?"

"Mm!"

The old man looked at him with great appreciation, not expecting him to guess it in one go. "A clone brought it back. For this strand of purple qi, this old man lay dormant for a full hundred thousand years."

It had to be said, his endurance was something else—though that also had to do with his true body.

"Many thanks, Senior!"

Regardless, he expressed his thanks first.

At this moment the old man also slowly rose to his feet, his expression turning solemn. "Supreme Domain, Spirit Realm—I’ll be entrusting them to you."

With that said!

He even moved as if to bow to Chen Xuan. That gave Chen Xuan a huge fright, and he dodged away at once. "Senior, please don’t do that. The pressure’s too great, this junior can’t bear it."

"I’m off, I’m off."

As the words fell, his figure vanished in an instant.

"Too terrifying!"

In the void, Chen Xuan wiped at nonexistent cold sweat on his forehead.

He hadn’t expected the old man to actually salute him. Leaving everything else aside, just the issue of age was something he simply couldn’t bear.

Who knew how long that old man had been alive.

And when he’d just looked at him, although the old man was already withered to the extreme, it was very strange—he felt like the old man could still live for a very, very long time!

It even felt like... the Great Elder could die and that old man would still be kicking.

Under the Heaven-Reaching Tree!

The old man chuckled lightly. "This kid is kind of interesting."

Then he let out a sigh.

"I originally thought that with so many of the Yao Race returning this time, the Spirit Realm would develop rapidly. But I didn’t expect something like this to happen. Sigh!"

"Perhaps this is simply a calamity."

The old man’s gaze grew deep. He lifted his eyes to look up at the Heaven-Reaching Tree, all the way to the end—where the Spirit Realm lay. "I’m leaving. Guard this place well. If there’s any news, notify this old man at once."

After speaking, before the Great Elder could say anything, his figure slowly turned illusory, then finally faded away.

"Ai!"

The Great Elder let out a long sigh.

Primordial Realm!

Beside the World Tree, which now sat entirely at the very top of Xiaoyuan.

After eating Emperor Realm blood essence last time, it grew to over five hundred zhang. So much time had passed, it had grown, but only by a few zhang at best—still far too slow.

"Where am I supposed to find that much Emperor Realm blood essence for you to eat?"

Chen Xuan shook his head helplessly. It was way too damned picky. Later, he tried using high-level Dao Realm blood, but it had absolutely no effect.

Then two items appeared in his hand.

One was the black jar the old man had given him earlier, and the other was what the Western Emperor had gifted him—a seed.

Ever since he returned, he’d just left them sitting there.

As the box slowly opened, the World Tree suddenly reacted, shaking violently.

A twig extended, winding its way to appear in front of Chen Xuan.

"You want it?"

Chen Xuan asked.

The next moment, the twig actually nodded in a very human manner.

"Then what do I get in return?" Chen Xuan asked again.

Of course, he was doing this deliberately.

From the old man’s words he already knew the World Tree wasn’t something that could be refined easily.

Even earning its recognition was no easy task.

So... he took out this seed to tempt it, and now it was up to the tree to see if it would play ball.

Sure enough!

The twig swayed, as if hesitating.

Chen Xuan wasn’t in any rush.

Things like this are just both sides willing to hit and be hit—an open scheme.

If it wanted it, then at the very least it had to acknowledge him, right?

"Your current strength isn’t enough!"

Suddenly a childish voice rang out—the World Tree spoke.

"I brought you out of the Dao Domain—that’s a great favor!"

"You ate my Emperor Realm blood essence—that’s also a great favor!"

"Things shouldn’t go too far!"

"Now you want this seed of mine as well; that wouldn’t make sense, would it?"

However, the World Tree fell silent.

"My talent can be considered defying the heavens, right?"

Chen Xuan continued to increase the stakes.

"It can."

"But reaching Emperor Realm Perfection isn’t that easy."

The World Tree spoke, as if it knew everything.

"At most a hundred years, and I’ll reach Emperor Realm Perfection!"

"You’re very special."

The World Tree’s tone was somewhat strange. In fact, it had always been observing Chen Xuan—he just didn’t know.

It acknowledged that Chen Xuan was a genius.

But it still felt there was something off, as if his breakthroughs were a bit too easy.

"Fine, a hundred years!"

It finally spoke. "If you fail to reach Emperor Realm Perfection within a hundred years, I will erase your imprint."

"Deal!"

Chen Xuan shouted loudly. A hundred years—about right.

"Give me a strand of your soul!"

As the words fell, Chen Xuan split off a wisp of his soul, which drifted toward the World Tree.

As that strand of soul merged into the World Tree, a sense of connection formed between them. At the same time, the seed inside the box was wrapped up and taken away by a twig.