Chapter 348

Chapter 348: Psychic Tree

“So there really is a rat hiding in the shadows.”

Elder You paled with fear upon hearing these words, a sudden chill rising from the depths of his heart, reaching all the way to his head.

Without a second thought, he unleashed his agility to the utmost, conjuring up a series of phantoms in his presence and desperately dodging forward.

The moment the phantoms appeared, a hand suddenly appeared, shattering them and crushing the air currents.

Had Elder You not dodged quickly, he would have been pierced through the back, his life in jeopardy.

“Huh, that rat’s agility is quite good,”

the disheveled figure said in surprise.

However, he didn’t stop, instead stamping his foot, snaking close behind Elder You and striking again with his claws.

Elder You sensed this and was horrified.

His phantom clones had been so easily seen through.

It was clear that the opponent’s martial arts level was far superior to his own.

Thinking back to the strange magic he had witnessed earlier, Elder You had no desire to fight any longer.

He immediately activated the rare treasure within his arms.

The next moment, a black halo emerged from Elder You’s arms, quickly enveloping him.

The halo not only deflected the disheveled figure’s hand but also enveloped Elder You’s entire body, transforming into a stream of light and rapidly darting down the mountain.

“A magical weapon?”

The disheveled figure was startled, having never imagined that this shrew, who had been watching from the side, possessed a magical weapon.

Unfortunately, his attempts to stop him were too late.

The power of the magical weapon was beyond his current capabilities.

He could only watch helplessly as Elder You, carried away by the black light, swiftly vanished into the night.

“This shrew escaped!”

the disheveled figure ruefully.

Had he known this shrew was carrying a magical weapon, particularly one from the demonic realm, he would have given it his all from the start.

Seizing that magical weapon would be a significant aid to his current poverty.

“My luck has been getting worse and worse lately. Could it be that the Heavenly Dao of this world is targeting me?”

After being tricked twice in a row, the

disheveled figure suddenly became alert.

Since returning from Zhongzhou, his luck has been somewhat unfavorable.

Not only has his injuries never fully healed, but tonight he suffered two consecutive setbacks.

From a cultivator’s perspective, this is definitely not a good sign.

It’s very likely that he has been targeted by this Heavenly Dao.

“Damn it, it’s all that brat’s fault! If he hadn’t forced me to use the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique, leaking my essence, how could I have been noticed by this Heavenly Dao!”

The disheveled figure’s eyes flashed with resentment as he thought of the culprit who had caused his current situation.

If Lu Qing hadn’t slashed him that day, robbed him of his essence, and forced him to use the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique,

how could he have fallen to this point?

Every time he thought of this, the resentment in his heart was so strong that even if he poured out all his energy, it would not fade in the slightest.

“Just wait. One day, I will find you and destroy everything you own.

I will extract your soul and burn it for aeons.

Otherwise, the hatred I hold within me will be extinguished!”

The disheveled figure gradually faded, leaving only a voice filled with hatred, lingering through the forest.

Dozens of miles away, a streak of black light streaked low and at high speed in the moonlight.

It soon descended into a valley, then dissipated, revealing Elder You’s pale face.

Elder You carefully removed a completely black, spindle-shaped jade talisman from his bosom.

Seeing the cracks on the jade talisman, Elder You felt a pang of pain.

The treasure, bestowed upon him by the master of the building, could only be used three times at most.

Unexpectedly, he had already used it twice, only moments after escaping.

Another use, and the treasure would shatter, rendering it useless.

“I never imagined this outside world would become so dangerous.

In just a few days, I’ve faced two life-threatening crises.”

Elder You, with lingering fear, glanced back towards the Qingyun Sword Pavilion.

Without hesitation, he immediately unleashed his acrobatic skills and continued forward.

The danger posed by the strange figure earlier was even greater than that posed by the old man he had encountered that day at the Wei Mansion.

It wasn’t that the other man’s cultivation was superior, but rather that his technique was too strange and terrifying.

The pure demonic aura made even an elder of the Wujian Tower tremble.

So, even after escaping dozens of miles, he still didn’t feel safe.

“It seems it’s time to return. If I die out there, no one will be able to bring back the information from the outside world.”

With this decision in mind, Elder You’s acrobatic skills became even more swift, gradually fading into the darkness.

The turbulent situation outside, the turbulent situation, had no effect on the tranquility of Jiuli Village.

Ever since Lu Qing set up the formation, the environment of Jiuli Village had become increasingly better.

The trees were lush and the temperature was pleasant.

Even on this scorching day, one could feel cool and refreshed.

The air was filled with spiritual energy, making it almost like a paradise on earth.

The villagers also noticed that their bodies were becoming healthier and more energetic day by day.

They understood that these changes were all brought about by Lu Qing’s magic.

The villagers’ gratitude towards Lu Qing grew day by day.

“Grandpa Zhang, you said you had something important to tell me. What is it?”

One day, Lu Qing was performing the magic of divine rain on the spiritual fields when he saw Grandpa Zhang and several village elders coming up the mountain to find him.

“It’s about that tree of faith at the entrance to the village.”

Grandpa Zhang and the other elders marveled at Lu Qing’s magic.

They had never seen, let alone heard of, using magic to irrigate rice fields.

Crucially, the rice seedlings in Lu Qing’s paddies were equally remarkable. Not

only were they growing exceptionally strong, but the tips of their leaves shone with a hint of golden light, giving them a truly remarkable appearance.

“Ah Qing, how come your rice seedlings are so golden?”

one of the village elders couldn’t help but ask.

“This is a new rice seed I’ve cultivated using magic, experimentally. That’s why they look so special,”

Lu Qing explained with a smile.

The villagers all knew that he knew magic, so he didn’t try to hide it.

“What will rice grown with magic look like?”

another village elder said with wide eyes.

“I don’t know what they will look like later. Everyone can come and see them when the harvest comes.”

“Okay.”

The elders were all farmers who had been farming for their entire lives. Naturally, they were very curious about the rice grown with magic, and they all agreed immediately.

“By the way, Grandpa Zhang, what happened to the faith tree you mentioned just now?” Lu Qing asked.

The faith tree is the big tree that the villagers usually tie red ropes to when they go out.

It has a special meaning in the hearts of the villagers of Jiuli Village, and Lu Qing is also very concerned about it.

“We can’t explain what’s going on, so why don’t you go and see for yourself?” Grandpa Zhang said.

“Okay, I’ll go with you.”

Lu Qing had just finished watering the two acres of spiritual fields. After using a spell to disperse the mist, he and Grandpa Zhang and the others descended the mountain and arrived at the village entrance.

A large crowd had already gathered there.

Many gathered around the faith tree, staring at something unknown, their voices of exclamation dropping from their lips.

Lu Qing even spotted Hu Lao San among the crowd.

Over the past few days, the Hu father and daughter had gradually integrated into village life.

Hu Lao San, in particular, was known for his quick thinking.

Naturally, he easily gained the villagers’ favor,

and as a result, they gradually began to accept him.

“Everyone, move aside! Ah Qing is here!”

a villager shouted as they saw Lu Qing and Grandpa Zhang approaching.

The villagers immediately parted to allow Lu Qing and the others to reach the faith tree.

Upon seeing the tree, Lu Qing was surprised.

The tree had changed significantly since before.

The leaves, of course, had become even greener.

Secondly, the entire tree had grown considerably taller.

The already tangled roots at the base, in particular, now gathered even more tightly together, forming the faint shape of a small house.

Most importantly, Lu Qing sensed a strange vibration from the tree.

“Huh, the power of incense?”

At that moment, “Yan”‘s voice suddenly echoed in Lu Qing’s mind.

“Senior, what is the power of incense?” Lu Qing asked.

The legacy left by the Lihuo Sect contained no mention of the power of incense.

“You don’t know? That’s right. The Lihuo Sect hasn’t delved deeply into the ways of incense, so it’s only natural that you don’t know.”

“The so-called power of incense is actually a unique force condensed from pure thought and faith.

Most immortal sects haven’t studied this, but even Xuankong Mountain, your nemesis

, was quite adept at it in ancient times.

I never expected that this little country tree could actually condense the power of incense. It’s truly remarkable.”

“Yan” spoke eloquently in Lu Qing’s mind.

It was rare for Lu Qing to still have something he didn’t know, which gave him plenty of things to talk about.

“I see. I wonder what the power of incense is used for?” Lu Qing continued to ask.

“I’m not quite sure about that.” “Yan” shook his head and said, “The power of incense is strange and unusual. Even in the ancient days of immortal cultivation, only a few sects were proficient in it.

But I’ve heard the elders of the Lihuo Sect mention that the power of incense is very strange.

It can condense into different kinds of power based on the thoughts of the person praying. It is unpredictable and very difficult to defend against.

I wonder what kind of incense power is condensed in the faith tree at the entrance of your village.”

Lu Qing’s heart moved slightly when he heard this.

He activated his supernatural power and looked towards the faith tree.

After a few breaths, a faint golden supernatural light emerged from the faith tree.

At the same time, several notes of information also floated out.

[Spiritual Faith Tree: A large tree nourished by spiritual energy and endowed with a trace of spirituality through the thoughts and worship of the villagers.

This Faith Tree, adorned with the sincere prayers of the Jiuli villagers over the years, has condensed a wisp of incense power. The incense power

within the Faith Tree, borne by the villagers’ worship, is inextricably linked to the village and protects this land.

The incense power within this Faith Tree symbolizes protection and peace. Tying a red string, representing a villager’s identity, to it imbues them with a touch of divine luck.

…

After reading the message that emerged from the Faith Tree, Lu Qing’s eyes lit up with surprise.

He also understood the source of the incense power within the Faith Tree.

“Yan” had just said that incense power is condensed from pure thought and faith.

The Faith Tree is the tree to which the Jiuli villagers pray for peace.

Every Jiuli villager ties a red string to its branches when they leave the village and removes it upon their return.

This custom has remained unchanged for decades.

It can be said that the Faith Tree embodies the purest wishes of the Jiuli Villagers: prayers for safety and protection for their loved ones.

This is why it has engendered the protective power of incense.

This means that from now on, when villagers go out, they simply tie a red string around the tree.

It’s no longer just a prayer for safety

; it truly receives the Faith Tree’s blessing, carrying a hint of good fortune with them. This

promises smooth sailing, turning danger into safety, and a safe journey.

“Ah Qing, is there something wrong with the Faith Tree?”

Grandpa Zhang asked worriedly, noticing Lu Qing staring at the tree.

The other villagers, even the children, looked on with similar concern.

The Faith Tree holds a special place in Jiuli Village, and nearly every villager holds a special affection for it.

Younger residents spent countless childhoods nestled beneath it.

Consequently, many villagers have been warned from a young age not to climb or damage the tree.

Consequently, everyone is deeply concerned about its progress.

Seeing the villagers’ concerned eyes, Lu Qing smiled.

“Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with the Faith Tree. On the contrary, this change is a good thing.”

“Good thing, what good thing?” an elder asked immediately.

“Something has happened in the world. This Faith Tree has grown for so many years, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. Coupled with the villagers’ frequent worship,

it has now developed a hint of spirituality and become a true spiritual tree.

As long as we take good care of it, it will better protect the peace of our village.”

Lu Qing did his best to explain the situation in a way that everyone could understand.

Sure enough, upon hearing that the Faith Tree was spiritual, everyone was shocked.

“The Faith Tree is spiritual?”

“It has developed spirituality, meaning that it can hear us?”

“Good news, this is very good news!”

After the shock, joy was finally over.

Although everyone was not fully clear on what the Faith Tree’s spirituality meant, they understood Lu Qing’s statement that it could better protect the village.

Suddenly, a villager grabbed the ear of his youngest son and said,

“You little brat, did you hear what Ah Qing said? Don’t be disrespectful to the tree again. If I see you climbing up the tree like you did this morning, I’ll break your legs!”

“Yes, and you too, brat. I saw you the day before yesterday, breaking branches off the tree. If you do that again, I’ll beat you to death!”

Another villager also grabbed his son’s ear.

The other villagers heard this and started scolding their own children.

Suddenly, the sound of little brats begging for mercy filled the air.

(End of this chapter)