Unlike when Yuan Ming previously attacked with his Magic Treasure, this Golden Crow Arrow pierced through the dark old tree's trunk with ease, half of the arrow's shaft penetrating the tree.

"Aaah..."

The Old Black Tree, controlled by the All Living Beings' Dream Rune, suddenly came to its senses, its ancient human face emitting a miserable and low moan as countless black vines wildly danced upward, thrusting towards Yuan Ming.

At the same time, white mist once again streamed from its eyes, staring straight at Yuan Ming.

The golden divine bow in Yuan Ming's hand gradually turned into specks of starlight and dissipated, leaving only a charred, crimson wound in his palm. Despite the pain, he didn't mind, quickly casting a spell and once again activating the All Living Beings' Dream Rune.

But the moment his gaze met with the old tree's, that feeling of being struck by a giant bell suddenly hit him again.

Just when he was about to fall for the attack once more, the Golden Crow Arrow embedded in the black tree suddenly exploded with a burst of blinding golden light. Golden beams shot out from it, and in an instant, bisected the black tree.

The upper half of the tree's body "boom" collapsed, and the black vines that had pierced their bodies also retracted at the same time.

Yuan Ming and Wulu felt an immediate release throughout their bodies, then their legs gave way, and they fell to the ground.

"What's happened?" Wulu's voice was tinged with weakness, his tone somewhat hoarse as he asked.

"Let's get out of here first; I'll explain on the way," Yuan Ming said, without the time to explain further. He quickly took out some elixirs and swallowed them, also feeding a few to Wulu.

After taking the elixirs, Wulu hastily worked on circulating the medicinal efficacy with Breathing Control.

Yuan Ming approached the severed body of the Old Black Tree, looking at that ghostly black and ancient face, he couldn't help but shudder.

Although the eyes of the old black tree were closed for good, with no trace of life left in it, like those black Tree Men, it surged with rich Life Energy.

Yuan Ming waved his hand and collected the half-piece of the black tree.

Afterward, he and Wulu quickly made their way through the cave, recounting the events that had taken place while on the move.

"Brother Yuan, you've saved my life again," Wulu said, having recovered quite a bit, unable to help feeling grateful.

After about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, a hazy light became visible at the end of the cave.

With joy in their hearts, they rushed towards it, only to find upon closer inspection that there stood a black and white round Light Gate, from within which dense nature's spiritual energy emanated.

Yuan Ming sensed the same atmosphere he had felt when possessing Guoguo a few days earlier, in that black and white space, and a thick smile spread across his face.

"There's no mistake, it's there," he said, and charged towards the Light Gate.

Wulu, although puzzled that Yuan Ming seemed so certain despite his first visit, had no time to ask questions and hurriedly followed.

The figures of the two men disappeared one after another into the black and white Light Gate.

...

On the Three Immortals Island, within an unknown dark space.

As the Old Black Tree Demon had its lifeline severed by Yuan Ming's arrow, a painful and muffled groan came from the depths of the darkness, sounding as though it had suffered an attack.

Almost simultaneously, the Tree Men guarding the entry of the Time Cave, all transformed from giant trees, knelt to the ground, their tendrils burrowing into the earth while their crowns shook violently. Their deformed faces opened their mouths wide and issued painful howls.

The Tree Men who had gone to chase after Yuan Wuji and the others were in the same predicament, their expressions filled with pain, momentarily halting their attack on Yuan Wuji and his group.

Unaware of what had happened, they looked at each other in bewilderment.

A blood-colored figure shot out, heading straight for the Time Cave—it was the Blood Yan Island Master.

"Follow him!" Yuan Wuji saw this and with a decisive look, ordered sternly.

Several figures soared into the sky, racing towards the Time Cave swiftly.

In the dark space, that voice sounded once more, this time a brief cold snort.

As the voice echoed, the surface of the white mountain below Yuan Wuji and the others exploded amidst a roaring sound, fissuring apart.

Instantly, boulders tumbled, dust billowed, and huge cracks formed across the mountain. Hundreds of gigantic tree roots, like great dragons, burst from within, swinging towards Yuan Wuji and his group. It appeared to be the same giant roots that had previously been lurking underground.

The roots were covered with countless branching tendrils, like tentacles, reaching for the people who were frantically scattering.

The group was shocked and scrambled to dodge using their spells.

But the multitude of roots, with their terrifying pressure and uncanny agility, quickly blocked the paths of most, and in a moment, they had nowhere to hide, nearly to be seized by the roots.

Just then, the unexpected happened!

A rumbling sound that echoed through the heavens erupted in the distance, carrying with it the force of heavenly might, causing the entire earth to shake.

As they looked up in panic, they saw a golden light streak across the sky from the direction of the Golden Sunflower Immortal Island, shooting straight towards Lank Island above them.

The immense golden light suddenly broke apart into hundreds of golden arrows, raining down in this area.

Each golden arrow targeted a thick tree root with unerring accuracy.

Among the rain of arrows, seven were particularly large and powerful.

The arrows rent the air, leaving dark streaks as they sped straight towards the seven Level 4 Upper Stage Tree Demons at the entrance of the Time Cave.

The seven Tree Demons' faces distorted with fear as they tried to flee, burrowing into the earth or soaring into the sky.

However, the seven massive arrows pursued the demons like maggots to a corpse, relentless in their chase!

"Boom boom boom!"

Explosive sounds continued unceasingly on Lank Island, as the golden light and flames scattered, and a cloud of dust rose up to obscure the sky, creating an apocalyptic scene.

Yuan Wuji and others turned pale, scattering in panic, no longer concerned about the Time Cave but solely focused on avoiding the terrifying attack.

The white mountain was almost destroyed. The White Scale Master and his group, as well as Old Man Hei Zhu and others, were forced to flee from their hiding places, joining in the chaotic escape.

Fortunately, the golden light arrow rain attack only lasted for a few breaths before it stopped.

When the dust gradually cleared, everyone on the island was unharmed; however, the vast roots emerging from the ground were mostly destroyed, and the tree people on the mountain were nearly all wiped out, with no trace of those seven Level 4 Upper Stage tree demons.

Half of Lank Island bore terrifying cracks everywhere, a sight that was appalling to the eye.

Yuan Wuji and others, having survived the calamity, dared not stay any longer and all rushed towards the Time Cave like mad.

With their life energy severely damaged, the giant roots no longer had the strength to block them.

Meanwhile, White Scale Master, Old Man Hei Zhu, and the others were completely unaware of what had happened, standing there in confusion.

"Hmph, Hou Yi's Sun Shooting Bow, Lank Chessboard, even if you aid those outsiders, it's nothing but a struggle at death's door, a futile effort. Once I complete my task, you will all submit to me," said the indifferent voice in the dark space, its echo lingering in the empty void.

As soon as the voice faded, the ground of Lank Island cracked open once again, countless tree people emerged, and pounced towards White Scale Master and the others.

...

As the light that filled his vision gradually dissipated, Yuan Ming could see his surroundings clearly again.

Ancient trees climbing with vines soared into the clouds, the earth was covered with lush green grass, and in the sky, a black sun and a white sun shone upon each other, harmoniously intertwined.

Everything was the same as what he saw while possessing Guoguo.

Yuan Ming looked around and connected with the Golden Crow in his Sea of Consciousness, silently sensing Xi Ying's location.

Soon, a hint of joy flashed across his face, "Brother Wulu, please follow me."

Upon hearing this, Wulu nodded slightly and followed Yuan Ming.

The two traveled swiftly and soon arrived at a valley filled with bird songs and fragrant flowers.

The valley was strewn with fresh flowers, shaded with green trees, and a clear pond, brimming with sparkling water, was situated in the middle.

Lotus leaves and flowers filled the pond; they were as green as jade and so large they could accommodate a person sitting upright.

In the center of the pond, a majestic ancient tree radiated spirit light as it stretched its branches towards the sky. Its canopy was vast, countless vines hung from the treetops, lightly touching the water, causing ripples with every sway in the wind.

Yuan Ming and Wulu arrived before the pond and discovered that the Spiritual Energy here was several times denser than anywhere else. Just breathing in the pure Spiritual Power lifted their spirits noticeably.

While they were still marveling at this, a beastly roar suddenly echoed.

"Roar... meow?"

A small beastly figure pounced to Yuan Ming's feet and rubbed against his leg.

Yuan Ming looked down and immediately laughed, picking up the little creature and stroking its back, "Guoguo, where's Xi Ying?"

Guoguo meowed comfortably twice, shaking with pleasure, then lifted its right paw and pointed towards the ancient tree at the center of the pond.

Carrying Guoguo, Yuan Ming walked around the pond and, indeed, on the opposite shore, he saw Xi Ying sitting in the lotus flower.

Whether Xi Ying sensed the Golden Crow within Yuan Ming's Sea of Consciousness was uncertain, but when Yuan Ming looked at her, she also just happened to open her eyes. Meeting his gaze, she revealed a playful smile, "You're here!"

Yuan Ming, watching her, found himself unconsciously smiling in response, "Have you been waiting long?"

Seeing this, Wulu behind him let out a faint sigh and then silently stepped aside, as if to enjoy the view elsewhere.

At the same time, Xi Ying got up, gliding over the pond surface, to join Yuan Ming, "Indeed, it's been quite a while. Why did you take so long to come here?"

"I didn't quite know the way, I first ended up at Golden Sunflower Island... Huh, you've made a breakthrough to the Late-stage Core Formation?" Yuan Ming stated, then suddenly expressed surprise.

Xi Ying smiled proudly, "It's the peak of Late-stage Core Formation, and it won't be long before I break through again!"

Yuan Ming became even more astonished, "So quickly? Haven't we been on the island for only about six or seven days?"

"It has been six or seven days outside, but in here, it's already been six or seven years," Xi Ying shook her head nonchalantly.

Yuan Ming's eyes widened, "Time flows differently here than in the outside world?"

"Exactly, otherwise why would the entrance to this place be called the Time Cave? It's because the time here differs from the outside world," Wulu, who seemed to overhear Yuan Ming talking about serious matters, came back and casually explained.

"If that's the case, could there be some treasure related to time here?" Yuan Ming speculated.

"Perhaps, but I spent half a year searching this place without finding any treasure or clues. However, the Spiritual Energy here is much denser than the outside world, making it a sacred place for cultivation," Xi Ying said.

"This is indeed a sacred cultivation place. This tree must be the legendary Gathering Spirit Tree, right? Such a colossal Gathering Spirit Tree, I fear, is second to none in the entire Yunhuang Continent," Yuan Ming said, looking towards the giant tree in the center of the lake.

In the Cultivation World, the main Gathering Spirit Objects are the Gathering Spirit Stone, Gathering Spirit Spring, and the most superior, the Gathering Spirit Tree.

Liu Tianming had mentioned in a casual chat with Yuan Ming that within Chang Chun Temple, there was a Gathering Spirit Tree, only a few dozen feet tall, which was nothing compared to the one before him.

No wonder Xi Ying's cultivation had improved so quickly. After all, meditating in such a place, it would be hard to slow down even if one wanted to.

"The natural spiritual energy here is extremely dense. Aside from this Gathering Spirit Tree, there are also two other places where Gathering Spirit Objects grow. If you're interested, we can go and take a look later," Xi Ying offered.

Yuan Ming nodded at her words.

"Enough about me. How did you get here? This place is isolated from the outside world, and all my means of communication are useless. What has happened in the outside world in the past six or seven days?" Xi Ying asked, waving her hand dismissively.

Yuan Ming was about to speak when he saw a streak of spirit light falling from each sun in the sky above, landing not far from where they stood.

After landing, the two streaks of black and white spirit light quickly merged at one spot, and then, like clay being molded, they formed into a man clad in black and white clothes.

His hair was as black as ink, skin as white as snow, with a white iris on a black sclera in his left eye, and a black iris on a white sclera in the right; both devoid of any brilliance, resembling stone-carved eyes, giving him a particularly stiff appearance.

Yuan Ming could not sense any cultivation level or Spiritual Energy from him, but this made him cautious, showing no negligence in his attitude.

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