Chapter Fifty-Five: Another Within the Stone

Zhe Mei Sword had thought that, possessing the mighty power of Nether Soul Force along with a host of formidable spells, he would surely stand above all competitors here. However, he had not anticipated that Jiang Feng was a hundred times fiercer than himself; with just two blows, Jiang Feng had shattered all his confidence, leaving not a trace behind. And now, Jiang Feng had risked his life to rescue him from dire peril.

Such cultivation might not yet be profound, but given a few centuries, Zhe Mei Sword firmly believed that none would be able to rival him. Yet it was not just about cultivation; the breadth of Jiang Feng’s spirit had reached a rare height, one that few in the world could ever behold.

On this Bloodshade Tree, there were many other Bloodshade Fruits, some with even more domineering Nether Soul Force, others bearing ancient and intricate secret arts passed down over thousands of years. If each fruit were to unleash its Nether Soul Force even once, it would be enough to kill Jiang Feng a million times over. Yet Zhe Mei Sword could sense that now, not a single Bloodshade Fruit on the entire tree harbored even a shred of suspicion or covetousness toward Jiang Feng.

“Master, he’s right. I should cherish the aura you left within me,” murmured the Bloodshade Fruit softly in its heart.

The Bloodshade Tree was brimming with abundant Nether Soul Force. After only a brief rest, Jiang Feng felt his spiritual sea once again saturated with this force. Though his mind was still weary, his physical strength had been fully restored.

“Jue, let’s leave,” he said, plucking a single Bloodshade Fruit from the tree and carefully storing it away. He didn’t spare another glance for the other fruits.

This act won him the admiration of many of the awakened Bloodshade Fruits. After all, to face such a trove of treasures without the slightest hint of greed was a rare quality, no matter where in the world it was found.

But in truth, Jiang Feng was not as noble as they imagined. His calculation was simple: though he had now grasped Nether Soul Force, it was not to be used recklessly. This mysterious power had vanished from the world for nearly a millennium; if employed openly, it was sure to draw the attention of unscrupulous sects, and perhaps even spell his own doom. As for the Bloodshade Fruits, much as he longed to take them all, with such a band of battle-hardened old spirits at his side, he’d be all but untouchable for a time. Yet this was no lasting solution. The Myriad Nether Continent was vast—who could say where its ends lay? If, one day, the secret of the Bloodshade Fruits reached the ears of a Nether Saint, they would stop at nothing to claim them.

In short, until he possessed the power to protect himself and the Bloodshade Tree, the Bloodshade Fruits—and their secret—were best left sealed away here.

“You really aren’t going to take another one?” Jue asked, casting a reluctant glance at those lustrous fruits, his tone filled with regret. “This chance to enter the Bloodshade Tree was pure luck—who knows when the next will come?”

He simply could not understand Jiang Feng’s decision.

Jiang Feng’s heart ached with longing, but forcing himself to appear righteous, he shook his head and made his choice. “No, one is enough.”

Jue let out a faint “oh,” then fell silent, his dissatisfaction clear in his silence.

This suited Jiang Feng. He had found the old man amusing and knowledgeable, but there was one flaw—he could be endlessly loquacious. Once he started talking, he could chatter one’s ears off.

“Zhe Mei Sword, I have to go,” Jiang Feng said, coming before him once more, this time in the manner of a friend. His smile was warm, like a ray of sunlight bathing the Bloodshade Tree that had never seen the light of day.

Zhe Mei Sword felt a pang of disappointment. “Stay a few more days. Your use of Nether Soul Force is still raw. We are all your allies—we would teach you everything we know without reserve.”

“This power is too dangerous for me, for now. If I leave here, I’ll surely be targeted by powerful factions. Then, no matter how strong my Nether Soul Force, two fists can’t fend off four hands,” Jiang Feng replied with a hint of bitterness, his lips tightening as though tasting a bitter fruit. But almost immediately, he felt relief; on this adventure, his spiritual strength had not diminished, but had grown with the appearance of Nether Soul Force, a cause for joy.

After a moment’s contemplation, Zhe Mei Sword smiled. “You’re right. Take care on your journey.”

“I will,” he replied.

With a flash of light beneath his feet, Jiang Feng soared into the air. The scenery rushed past him as if it had grown legs and was racing away in the opposite direction—an illusion produced only by his extraordinary speed. Relying on the shared power between himself and the Bloodshade Tree—Nether Soul Force—he quickly found the way out.

Yet he still ran into a bit of trouble.

The sandfall had vanished, only to be replaced by a new phenomenon: the sky was filled with flickering purple lightning, and dense black clouds rolled overhead. The entire ground felt like a furnace, with the inky clouds serving as its lid.

The purple lightning grew ever thicker and, in a flash, transformed into two gigantic electric serpents, each over thirty meters long and as thick as a man’s thigh. Their scales glistened with life, and they flicked blood-red tongues, sending chills down the spine of any onlooker.

“The Bloodshade Tree is truly extraordinary. No more sandfall tribulation, so now it protects itself with a thunderstorm tribulation instead—what a grand gesture!” Jue exclaimed in admiration. “And there’s even life force emanating from those two electric serpents—this is no ordinary thunder tribulation!”

As he spoke, the two serpents wound around Jiang Feng, circling in the sky, head to tail, forming a strange ring that seemed capable of shredding anything caught within.

The current was so strong it scorched the air itself.

A series of sharp explosions rang out, black smoke curling from the ground as the air was set ablaze and then struck by lightning in an instant.

Yet Jiang Feng, who should have been like a moth to flame, remained unscathed within the storm. Not a single strand of that terrifying purple lightning struck him; even within a three-step radius around him, the air was calm and clear.

Was it that Jiang Feng’s cultivation allowed him to evade the tribulation? Hardly. Jiang Feng himself wouldn’t have believed it for a moment.

There could be only one explanation: the Bloodshade Tree had programmed the purple lightning not to harm Jiang Feng.

Realizing this, Jiang Feng smiled, his mood soaring. Though he might never again cross paths with that wondrous tree, he had met so many legendary figures and even bested one—Zhe Mei Sword, a peerless Nether artifact. The thought of such a battle made his blood race.

“It seems you’ve basically gotten a universal pass from the Bloodshade Tree,” Jue said with envy.

Jiang Feng grinned but said nothing, quickening his pace. He could wait no longer—Wang Yingying and the divine beast were still missing, and every moment’s delay put them in greater danger.

He raced forward with thunderous speed, the ground cracking and splitting beneath the force of his passage, a deep furrow plowed behind him, clouds of dust rising over dozens of miles. But this dust was merely common earth, not the sulfurous sand from the sandfall.

Suddenly, Jue’s voice sounded in his ear: “Go check out that stone.”

“Hm? Where?” Jiang Feng was momentarily puzzled, then spotted a solitary stone to his right and realized, “Ah, that’s the one spot that was untouched when I encountered the sandfall.”

Jue arched an eyebrow, a mysterious smile on his face. “I’ve been living there these past years.”

“Oh, no wonder the sandfall didn’t affect it,” Jiang Feng said in understanding, but then frowned. “But wait, didn’t you get pretty badly hurt in the sandfall?”

Jue’s mouth dropped open. He stuttered for a long moment, unable to reply.

Seeing the old man so flustered, Jiang Feng was secretly delighted. Since meeting Jue, his ears had nearly grown calluses from the man’s endless chatter—finally, he was at a loss for words.

With a soft sound, Jiang Feng stepped onto the stone, and at once let out a surprised cry.

A faint mist gathered under his feet, swirling and washing over him with a cool, soothing sensation that made him want to sigh with pleasure.

Truly, Nether Soul Force was the most powerful of all forces, holding limitless potential! Jiang Feng mused, pondering when his cultivation would be sufficient for him to wield it boldly—when that day came, he would return to the Bloodshade Tree to delve deeper into its mysteries.

The gentle mist seeped into him, like a clear spring flowing swiftly through his veins, so subtle he could hardly perceive it.

But suddenly, Jiang Feng’s heart was seized with terror, his eyes wide with fear.

“Um, looks like Little Ghost got a bit carried away,” Jue coughed, hastily leaving Jiang Feng’s spiritual sea. But as soon as he touched the air, he nearly fainted away, his once-ruddy cheeks stiffening into a shocked mask.

“Ha! Your body’s been destroyed again, hasn’t it?”

Jue’s face grew ever darker, like a withered eggplant.

“So, Jue, how does it feel? Try a spell, go on, try hitting me!” Jiang Feng teased.

Jue’s head dropped lower and lower, his wrinkled face blushing with embarrassment. In his heart, he cursed Little Ghost a thousand times, shot a fierce glare at the stone, and retreated back into Jiang Feng’s spiritual sea.

“Um...” came a voice from within the stone, growing quiet and subdued. After a long pause: “Jue, are you angry?”

No reply.

After another long moment, a wisp of green smoke drifted from the stone, slowly gathering into a human form—a face both smiling and not, with eyes like crescent moons shimmering with gentle ripples, full of allure and cunning.

With a graceful step, her long, beautiful leg lifted, her clothes rustling. She let out a coquettish laugh, her voice sweet as cake. “Jue, are you really angry?”