Ten Great Divine Woods

"Brother Qin, adjust your breathing first. This old Daoist can hold out for a while longer." Yunyouzi urged the spirit bamboo flying boat onward and pressed Qin Sang to recover quickly. Qin Sang took out two bottles of Azure Spirit Pills and handed them to Yunyouzi in case of unexpected emergencies. Concealing the Ten Directions Yanluo Banner in his palm, he sat cross-legged on the flying boat and began regulating his breath. The fire spirit beasts pursued relentlessly, but the spirit bamboo flying boat was even faster than when Qin Sang had last seen it, keeping the situation barely under control. Qin Sang mused to himself that even when the flood dragon spirit soul in the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman recovered, his speed flying the secret talisman would probably be on par with the spirit bamboo flying boat at best. Moreover, the spirit bamboo flying boat didn't seem to consume much spiritual power, whereas the secret talisman drained an astonishing amount. Looked at this way, the Nine Dragons Heavenly Chariot Talisman with only a single flood dragon spirit soul was actually inferior to the spirit bamboo flying boat. This showed just how extraordinary the boat was. With such a treasure, even if Yunyouzi couldn't defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator, escaping would pose no problem at all. While recuperating, Qin Sang conversed with Yunyouzi. "My encounter was quite similar to Senior's. I have no idea what actually happened in the abandoned abode. The caverns suddenly collapsed, and those fire spirit beasts came pouring out from who knows where..." Qin Sang mimicked Yunyouzi's excuse. Yunyouzi sighed. "Before entering the ancient cultivator's abandoned abode, those seniors warned us. Looking at it now, something must have happened up above. If we can't find a way out, we'll have to drift with the current, and nobody knows where this lava river ultimately leads. What this old Daoist feared most was ending up trapped alone in some unknown danger. Fortunately, I ran into you, Brother Qin. With the two of us, we can watch each other's backs when trouble comes." Qin Sang nodded slightly. Yunyouzi was right—two people were far better off than one alone, and Yunyouzi's spirit bamboo flying boat was unquestionably an immense help. "Senior, have you seen any place where the power of the circular restriction has weakened? Perhaps under the impact of the shockwaves, a crack has already opened." Yunyouzi shook his head. "None. I've only explored the underground twice. The first time was a subterranean palace filled with firebirds, several times stronger than those in the trial space. I didn't dare go down. And then there's this time. Have you come across any, Brother Qin?" After hesitating for a moment, Qin Sang nodded. "To be frank with Senior, during the trial space, I happened to be assigned to the bottom row of chains. Back then, not knowing the trial's rules, I went down to take a look. I found that the restriction in the trial space was dim, even bearing cracks. It was still sturdy at the time, but after suffering these shockwaves, it might not be impossible to breach. It's just... I can't be sure of the trial space's exact location." Escaping was paramount right now. Having concocted a plausible explanation, Qin Sang shared his finding with Yunyouzi to discuss it together. Hearing this, Yunyouzi's eyes lit up, and he pondered aloud, "The trial space and the ancient cultivator's abandoned abode appear to be two separate spaces, but they are essentially one and the same, separated by restrictions and connected through the stone stele. It might very well be near the stele." Qin Sang murmured in agreement, "Junior was thinking the same thing." "It's worth a try!" Spiritual power flashed around Yunyouzi, and the spirit bamboo flying boat immediately veered, shooting into a tributary. Qin Sang looked down at the four stalks of spirit bamboo on the flying boat and asked casually, "Senior, this bamboo boat of yours moves at astonishing speed. May I ask what kind of spirit bamboo it was crafted from to be so extraordinary?" He had only asked offhandedly, not really expecting Yunyouzi to reveal everything without reservation. Unexpectedly, Yunyouzi didn't hesitate in the slightest, remarking with some pride, "This bamboo boat happens to be this old Daoist's masterpiece. It was crafted from four stalks of flying spirit bamboo that I acquired by chance. Though this bamboo cannot compare to the Ten Great Divine Woods, it is still a rare spirit bamboo, belonging to the category of extremely light wood. Crafting it into a bamboo boat takes full advantage of that property, which is why it attains such speed. In my travels, I've faced mortal peril many times, and every time, I relied on this bamboo boat to pull through. Ah... if I recall correctly, Brother Qin, your life spirit sword is a pure wooden embryo. Does it require spirit wood to advance?" Seeing Qin Sang nod, Yunyouzi hesitated before saying, "If you need it, Brother Qin, once we're out of danger, I can split off a section of the flying spirit bamboo and give it to you." Qin Sang was taken aback and waved his hands repeatedly. "How could I accept that? This bamboo boat means so much to Senior; how could you damage it? Junior could never bear such guilt!" He had never anticipated Yunyouzi being so generous as to gift spirit bamboo from a casual conversation. Rewards should not be accepted without merit. To receive such a valuable gift for nothing made Qin Sang wary of accepting it, and a trace of vigilance even crept into his heart. Yunyouzi chuckled and explained, "There is no need to worry, Brother Qin. This bamboo has already been refined into a magic tool. As long as its origin is not harmed, this old Daoist only needs to nurture it for a few days to replenish what was taken, without affecting the magic tool's power. Of course, the quality of the severed flying spirit bamboo cannot match the main body, making it comparable to ordinary spirit wood, but retaining some properties of the flying spirit bamboo is still quite rare." Only then did Qin Sang relax, though he still shook his head and declined, "Thank you for your kindness, Senior. Unfortunately, Junior's life spirit sword is rather particular. It requires pristine, unrefined spirit wood. Once spirit wood has been refined into a magic tool, its spiritual nature is altered; not only would it fail to advance the sword, it would actually harm it." "Is that so..." Yunyouzi nodded thoughtfully and consoled him, "Don't be discouraged, Brother Qin. Flying spirit bamboo isn't the only marvel in this world. You will eventually find spirit wood of similar quality. Perhaps you may even have the fortune to obtain one of the Ten Great Divine Woods and elevate your life spirit sword straight to the level of a magic treasure in one stroke." "Senior, please don't tease me. The Ten Great Divine Woods exist only in legend, divine treasures coveted even by Nascent Soul Patriarchs. Junior has only ever read about them in ancient texts. In the entire Lesser Cold Domain, who knows if the Ten Great Divine Woods even exist." Qin Sang gave a wry smile. Naturally, he wanted one of the Ten Great Divine Woods. Not a whole branch—even a tiny splinter would ensure he wouldn't have to worry about the ebony sword's quality before the Core Formation stage. However, such divine items could only be chanced upon, never sought out. In today's declining cultivation world, whether any of the Ten Great Divine Woods remained in existence was dubious at best. To his surprise, Yunyouzi flashed a mysterious smile upon hearing this. "Brother Qin, you underestimate the Lesser Cold Domain and the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. From what this old Daoist knows, without even looking too far back, the Ten Great Divine Woods have appeared at least three times over the past ten thousand years!" "Oh?" Qin Sang straightened up and asked in surprise, "Such things really exist in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield? How did Senior come to know this?" "This old Daoist heard it from my master, Master Piaoya..." Yunyouzi explained, then shared the details with Qin Sang. "The Ancient Immortal Battlefield was formed by a great war among ancient paragons. Deep within the battlefield, spatial rifts are densely scattered and perils abound—even Nascent Soul stage cultivators dare not intrude recklessly. There are immortal abodes that no one has ever set foot in, and whenever one emerges, it is accompanied by countless rare treasures. According to Master, over the past ten thousand years, the Ten Great Divine Woods have indeed surfaced on three occasions. It is just that very few had the qualifications to vie for them, so word of it never spread widely, remaining virtually unknown."