The Solar Divine Tree

A Vermilion Bird True Feather! Bai's judgment had been right. The Nanming Primordial Fire was indeed the power emanating from this sacred beast's true feather. The Vermilion Bird True Feather floated within the flames. Its form was extraordinarily light and delicate, with a hue close to the deep crimson of the Nanming Primordial Fire, completely devoid of any variegation. While not as kaleidoscopic as a phoenix feather, it was not the slightest bit inferior in magnificence. Slender, silken barbs drifted gently in utter suppleness. The feather itself looked like a cluster of flame, melding seamlessly into the Nanming Primordial Fire. It was hard to imagine that such violent demon fire originated from this single, gossamer-thin feather. A blessing in disguise. Originally, searching for the true body of the Vermilion Bird True Feather amidst the raging Nanming Primordial Fire would have been an exceedingly troublesome and perilous undertaking. Qin Sang's chances of success had been less than thirty percent, and this very step was where an accident was most likely to happen. Yet with the eruption of the Nanming Primordial Fire, the Vermilion Bird True Feather had unexpectedly revealed itself. Qin Sang observed the Vermilion Bird True Feather closely and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was entirely intact! He still remembered that when the Nine Phoenix King unleashed the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather years ago, merely a broken plume had been able to pierce through the ancient restrictions of the Hall of Seven Kills' Inner Hall. When several demon kings later appeared in the Inner Hall, it had surely been by virtue of that feather's power. Although that was partly because the Heavenly Phoenix possessed an innate mastery of spatial divine abilities, it was still enough to attest to the terrifying might of a sacred beast's true feather. The Nanming Primordial Fire originated from the sacred beast's true feather, yet it feared the green copper chunk so intensely; Qin Sang truly could not imagine what the chunk's origins were. The thought flashed through his mind, and a look of delight crept onto his face. When refining his magic treasure, he had prepared specifically for this situation. Today, his hopes of subduing the Nanming Primordial Fire were high! Braving the scorching aura of demon fire, Qin Sang walked forward step by step until he was right before the Nanming Primordial Fire. Gazing intently at the Vermilion Bird True Feather, he pondered his next move. The Vermilion Bird True Feather was the source of the Nanming Primordial Fire. There was no need to worry about the surrounding demon fire; as long as he seized the true body of the Vermilion Bird True Feather and subdued it, the deed would be done. Even though he could clearly see where the feather floated, snatching it from within the demon fire was no easy feat and would require taking some risks. Because the demon fire had erupted, the methods he had prepared beforehand were no longer applicable, leaving him to adapt on the fly. Qin Sang stood in place, lost in thought for a good while. His gaze swept back and forth between the Vermilion Bird True Feather, the Nanming Primordial Fire, and the ancient golden-thread restriction, calculating the feasibility of each course of action until a plan gradually took shape. "Even if I cannot fathom the ancient golden-thread restriction, by observing how it clashes with the demon fire, I should be able to identify some patterns and then use the power of the restriction to achieve my goal." No sooner had the thought occurred to him than he set to work. He retreated a short distance until the dry heat abated slightly, took out a bottle of medicinal pills, and emptied them all into his mouth. Then, disregarding the drain on his true essence, he dedicated his entire attention to observing the shifts in the ancient golden-thread restriction. Time ticked by slowly. Far too many unexpected turns had occurred, consuming far more time than Qin Sang had anticipated. Fortunately, he had received no transmission from Bai, allowing him to concentrate without distraction. After who knew how long. Qin Sang's furrowed brow relaxed slightly; he seemed to have discovered something. Right then, an unusual fluctuation came from the Nascent Soul talisman puppet. Only then did Qin Sang startle to the realization that the true essence in his own body was running low as well, leaving him no choice but to step out of the secret passage first. Sitting cross-legged at the entrance of the stone palace, he ingested pills and restored himself to peak condition. Returning to the secret passage, Qin Sang looked at the Nanming Primordial Fire, eager to make his attempt. A white light flashed in his palm, and the newly refined magic treasure appeared in his left hand. The shape of the magic treasure was quite peculiar, resembling a spirit tree of white copper. Its base was none other than the carapace of the Nine-Life Black Tortoise. After Qin Sang refined it, the carapace's shape had not changed much, though the patterns on its back had grown slightly fainter. The true change lay within: the green copper chunk had already been embedded into the shell. This step had also been the one that cost Qin Sang the most effort. Only after countless trials had he managed to achieve a flawless fusion without causing any conflict between the two treasures. The spirit tree grew straight out of the carapace. Its trunk was gnarled and vigorous, branching out into several limbs. It had been forged from the mysterious white copper and other spiritual materials, but because white copper was the primary component, the entire tree appeared white. At the moment, the white copper's might was restrained inward. Unlike its earlier blazing radiance, it now looked somewhat pale. Grasping the spirit tree, Qin Sang walked to the edge of the Nanming Primordial Fire. Feeling the demon fire's power, he held his breath and suddenly raised his other hand, pressing an empty palm toward the stone wall. The ancient golden-thread restriction was constantly shifting; right now, it had just begun brightening from a state of dimness. An illusory handprint landed adroitly onto a rune, causing the ancient golden-thread restriction to instantly flare a bit brighter. In response, the power of the demon fire was suppressed. Naturally, Qin Sang could not have deciphered the ancient restriction in such a short time. Rather, with the aid of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, he had grasped its patterns of change and rode its momentum. Seizing the opportune moment, Qin Sang poured all his true essence into the spirit tree and charged boldly into the demon fire. Fluctuations from the green copper chunk radiated from the spirit tree, repressing the Nanming Primordial Fire's might. Under the spirit tree's protection, Qin Sang successfully broke inside. A look of joy flashed in his eyes, and he immediately cast the spirit tree down toward the Vermilion Bird True Feather. Then, an unexpected scene unfolded. Without any warning, the Vermilion Bird True Feather gave a sudden twitch and vanished into thin air. The next instant, it reappeared ten feet away, still drifting gently. The spirit tree struck nothing but empty air. Qin Sang was dumbfounded. He had never imagined that the true feather could evade attacks. A miscalculation! The protection of the green copper chunk could last only a brief moment, forcing Qin Sang to clutch the spirit tree and beat a hasty retreat. Though the interval had been short, the toll on Qin Sang's mind and true essence was substantial. He stared fixedly at the Vermilion Bird True Feather and saw that it was once again hovering motionless in place, showing no other sign of change. It seemed that it lacked sentience; in all probability, there was an innate conflict between the feather and the green copper chunk, prompting it to dodge out of instinct. Qin Sang found the matter exceedingly thorny. Once he had recovered, he tried again. Several attempts in a row all ended in failure. The Vermilion Bird True Feather was slippery beyond measure; catching it was simply out of the question. Qin Sang remained composed. After pondering for a while, he realized that he would likely need to continue studying the golden-thread seal, using its power to restrict the movement of the Vermilion Bird True Feather. With that in mind, Qin Sang turned his attention back to the ancient golden-thread restriction. Thanks to his Heavenly Eye divine ability, after studying the restriction for a long time, Qin Sang finally made a new discovery. After regulating his breathing, Qin Sang returned once again to the secret passage with newfound confidence on his face. Leaving the Nascent Soul talisman puppet outside the demon fire, he charged without hesitation into the Nanming Primordial Fire. The spirit tree descended toward the Vermilion Bird True Feather. The familiar scene played out once more: the true feather twitched. Yet at that exact instant, the Nascent Soul talisman puppet threw a fist into the ancient golden-thread restriction. Golden light flared brilliantly, and as expected, the true feather was affected. When it reappeared, its trajectory matched Qin Sang's prediction down to the inch! And the spirit tree happened to be waiting right there. The instant the true feather remanifested, the tree crashed down! Whoosh! The demon fire surged wildly. Qin Sang paid it no mind, shifting his hand seals in rapid succession. A streak of green light abruptly surfaced from the base of the spirit tree, landing squarely upon the true feather itself. The radiance of the Vermilion Bird True Feather dimmed, and it was dragged inside by the green light. Rumble! The tortoise shell shook violently. The patterns across its back turned crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye, swiftly spreading toward the body of the spirit tree and dyeing the white copper red as well. The buds upon the branches of the spirit tree bloomed in full, giving birth to a cluster of crimson breath. Nine blossoms in total! "A pity it isn't a three-legged golden crow!" Looking at the divine tree, this thought crossed Qin Sang's mind.