Chapter 129 - Ning Yechen's 'Sincerity'
Ning Yechen ignored the crowd and directly entered the mystical rift.
After a flash of blinding light, he found himself stepping into another world.
The scenery before him was lush and green, and the first thing that caught his eye was a vast, boundless meadow.
At the far end of the meadow, a towering ancient tree stood tall, reaching the peak of the clouds. Even when he looked up, he couldn't see its top.
The ancient tree seemed close, but it was actually thousands of miles away.
It was simply because the tree was so massive that it felt as if it were right in front of him.
Ning Yechen instantly arrived near the Celestial Spirit Tree and slowly approached it, step by step.
The faint celestial spiritual energy scattered around, shimmering like snowflakes, even faintly suppressing the demonic energy emanating from his body.
Beneath the Celestial Spirit Tree, a man dressed in emerald green robes, with flowing green hair, sat cross-legged.
As Ning Yechen drew closer, Ye Shuying slowly opened his eyes, which glowed with celestial light. He stood up and walked towards Ning Yechen with a smile on his face.
It had been a long time since anyone dared to intrude into the Celestial Spirit Tree's secret realm.
"I am Ye Shuying, the guardian of the Celestial Spirit Tree."
"I don't know who you are, but no one is allowed to enter the Celestial Spirit Tree's secret realm!"
"If you leave now, I can pretend nothing happened."
"This Venerable One has come here only to take a bit of the Celestial Spirit Tree's sap."
Ning Yechen stopped and looked at Ye Shuying, his voice calm.
"The sap of the Celestial Spirit Tree is the condensed essence of the Heavenly Realm's celestial spiritual energy. It takes a thousand years for a single drop to form within the tree!"
"It's incredibly precious!"
"How could it be given away casually!"
"Even if the Celestial Spirit Tree were willing, I, as its guardian, would never agree!"
"If you want the Celestial Spirit Sap, you'll have to defeat me first!"
Ye Shuying declared, his expression proud and defiant.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ning Yechen flicked his arm, summoning a translucent, jet-black demonic arm that instantly sent Ye Shuying flying with a single slap!
Ye Shuying shot through the air like a meteor, blood spraying from his mouth as he was flung hundreds of miles away!
Even after landing on the ground, he skidded, leaving a long, deep gouge in the earth!
Ning Yechen didn't even bother to spare Ye Shuying another glance. He casually retracted his arm and walked directly towards the Celestial Spirit Tree.
Lying on the ground, Ye Shuying felt his celestial bones shatter, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He stared blankly at the sky, questioning his entire existence.
He, at the peak of the Immortal Emperor realm, was almost slapped to death...?
Just who is this person...?!
He had only been cultivating in seclusion as the guardian of the Celestial Spirit Tree for a few hundred years. Had the outside world changed so drastically in that time...?
With no one else to interrupt, Ning Yechen teleported to the foot of the Celestial Spirit Tree.
Standing so close to the ancient tree, his figure seemed incredibly small, like a speck of dust.
Even Ning Yechen couldn't help but be deeply awed by the sheer grandeur of the Celestial Spirit Tree.
It was indeed worthy of being the Celestial Spirit Tree that had existed since the ancient era.
"This Venerable One has come today only to seek a few drops of Celestial Spirit Sap for my daughter. I hope the Celestial Spirit Tree will grant my request."
Since he was asking for a favor, Ning Yechen looked at the Celestial Spirit Tree and spoke politely, a rare occurrence for him.
The Celestial Spirit Tree had existed for hundreds of thousands of years since its birth and must have developed sentience long ago. Ning Yechen knew it could understand his words.
However, the Celestial Spirit Tree showed no reaction. Its branches swayed gently, as if it hadn't heard him at all.
Ning Yechen frowned slightly, displeasure flashing in his eyes.
He never liked being ignored!
Especially now when he was pressed for time!
Without another word, Ning Yechen clasped his hands together, forming them into a blade-like shape, and plunged them directly into the massive trunk of the Celestial Spirit Tree!
When he withdrew his hand, a gaping crack was left on the tree.
However, not a single drop of anything flowed out of the crack in the trunk, not even a single drop of Celestial Spirit Sap.
It seems obtaining the sap of the Celestial Spirit Tree isn't that easy either...
Ning Yechen finally understood.
He now knew why Penglai Fusheng had so readily revealed the location of the Celestial Spirit Tree.
It turned out that obtaining the Celestial Spirit Sap required the approval and consent of the Celestial Spirit Tree itself.
They had guessed that the Celestial Spirit Tree wouldn't agree to give its sap to him, the Demon Lord...!
"Good...!"
"Very good...!"
Ning Yechen's eyes turned dark purple, his gaze icy cold. Terrifying demonic energy erupted from his body like a hurricane, swirling around him!
The green plains beneath his feet instantly started to crack and crumble, the entire secret realm trembling and collapsing!
Ning Yechen spread his arms, and the void behind him tore open, revealing two gigantic demonic arms!
With just a slight movement of the arms, the void of the secret realm was torn apart like thin paper!
Ye Shuying, lying on the ground, felt his entire being tremble and weaken from this demonic aura. Despite his severe injuries, he desperately scrambled away from the cracking ground.
Oh my god!
How can this generation's Demon Lord be so terrifying?!
This power is far beyond the Immortal Emperor level!
"Since you won't listen to reason, then don't blame this Venerable One for taking matters into my own hands!"
"I refuse to believe that I can't squeeze out a few drops of Celestial Spirit Sap by uprooting you and crushing you like sugarcane!"
Ning Yechen's expression was icy cold as he controlled the demonic arms with his mind.
The two massive demonic arms behind him wrapped around the entire Celestial Spirit Tree and began to exert force, squeezing it. The Celestial Spirit Tree let out a series of cracking sounds!
"W-Wait a minute...!"
"I'll give it, I'll give it to you...!"
An ethereal and melodious voice suddenly rang out, pleading for mercy.
The corners of Ning Yechen's lips curled up slightly. He raised his arm, and the demonic arms behind him slowly released the Celestial Spirit Tree, retracting into the void...
The speaker didn't reveal themselves, but Ning Yechen guessed it was the Celestial Spirit Tree begging for mercy.
From the crack in the trunk that Ning Yechen had pierced earlier, golden, shimmering sap slowly flowed out.
It seemed his sincerity had finally moved the Celestial Spirit Tree...
Ning Yechen took out a jade bottle and filled it to the brim from the crack, then put it away with satisfaction.
He smiled faintly at the Celestial Spirit Tree and said,
"Thank you for your generosity, Celestial Spirit Tree~"
With that, Ning Yechen didn't linger any longer. He vanished from before the Celestial Spirit Tree in an instant and left the secret realm.
After Ning Yechen left, a graceful female figure faintly materialized on a branch high up in the Celestial Spirit Tree.
The woman's face was filled with fear, and she patted her chest with lingering trepidation.
Having cultivated in the Heavenly Realm for hundreds of thousands of years, growing from a sapling into the Celestial Spirit Tree, this was the first time she had felt such a terrifying threat...
She had no doubt that Ning Yechen could truly uproot her and extract her sap…