Chapter 264: Tree King Emerges, Into the Grotto-Heaven!

Bihu Mountain.

In the main hall of the mountain villa.

“Ruyin has caused trouble for Mountain Lord Lu these past few days.”

Xu Renguang politely said to Lu Changsheng.

He had just arrived at Centipede Ridge when he heard from the Zheng Family that his precious granddaughter was staying at Bihu Mountain.

When he heard this news, he was terrified and rushed to Bihu Mountain without delay to bring his precious granddaughter back.

After all, he had heard of Lu Changsheng’s reputation.

Besides being a son-in-law from Qingzhu Mountain, becoming a Foundation Establishment master, a talisman grandmaster, and single-handedly killing three Foundation Establishment cultivators, he also established the Lu Family on Bihu Mountain.

There was another point people often discussed: his enthusiasm for taking wives and having children.

In just over twenty years, he had more than fifty wives and concubines and over a hundred and fifty children, single-handedly creating an entire clan.

So when he heard his granddaughter had gone to Bihu Mountain, he was afraid Lu Changsheng might make a move on her.

He couldn’t even imagine if something happened between the two of them.

“Fellow Daoist Xu, you’re too kind.”

Lu Changsheng said with a smile.

“Grandfather.”

At this moment, Lu Miaoyun and Xu Ruoyin came o the hall.

Xu Renguang gave his granddaughter an annoyed look, then stood up and cupped his hands, saying, “Mountain Lord Lu, I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t stay long. I’ll take my leave now.”

“In the future, Mountain Lord Lu, you’re welcome to visit our Xu Family anytime.”

After saying this, he left a gift and took his granddaughter Xu Ruoyin away, leaving Bihu Mountain.

“Take care, Fellow Daoist Xu.”

Lu Changsheng saw them off at the mountain gate.

But seeing their relieved expressions and how hastily they left with the granddaughter, he felt a bit insulted.

He thought, “We kindly took in your ill-intentioned granddaughter, and you act like this? Don’t you trust my character?”

“Yun’er, you and Little Wan have been in contact with Miss Xu these past few days. Did you notice anything unusual?”

Lu Changsheng turned to Lu Miaoyun and asked.

“There wasn’t anything unusual. These five days, Miss Xu only went out once to tour the lake. The rest of the time, she was alone in her room cultivating.”

Lu Miaoyun shook her head sligtly and said, “Husband, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just feel there’s something off about this Miss Xu.”

Lu Changsheng said casually.

“Something off?”

Lu Miaoyun looked thoughtful.

But after pondering for a while, she couldn’t think of anything unusual about Miss Xu.

If there was anything strange, it was that she didn’t seem as interested in her husband as expected.

After all, according to Little Wan, this Miss Xu from the Xu Family might have had feelings for her husband.

But since coming to Bihu Mountain, she hadn’t shown much interest these past few days.

Six days later.

At the top of Biyun Peak.

“Five Elements Reversal Formation, activate!”

After Ling Zixiao set up the formation flags and disc, she went to the formation’s eye and sent a series of incantations into the formation disc.

“Hum—”

The next moment, the formation flags around the peak fluttered, beams of light appeared, and as spiritual energy surged, they formed a five-colored crystal pillar.

“My lord, the formation is ready. You can try it now.”

Ling Zixiao said to Lu Changsheng.

“Alright.”

Lu Changsheng turned into a stream of light and flew out of the mountain peak.

He saw the five-colored crystal pillar on the mountain peak rotating, gradually becoming invisible and turning into a hazy white mist.

As the white mist flowed, the mountain peak reappeared, but there was nothing on the entire peak. Ling Zixiao, Xiao Xiyue, and Hall of Everlasting Life had all vanished.

Lu Changsheng channeled his spiritual power to his eyes, trying to see through the formation and observe the situation inside.

But it was as if layers of mist obscured his vision.

He could only vaguely tell that the scene before him was an illusion, but he couldn’t see the actual situation inside.

When he tried to probe with his Divine Sense, he felt an invisible barrier blocking it.

Then, Lu Changsheng landed on the mountain peak.

The scenery of the peak before him, the trees, all seemed real, with a tangible feel.

Lu Changsheng tried to sense Ling Zixiao and Xiao Xiyue’s auras, but he couldn’t detect them.

“So this is the power of formations. It seems I need to learn more about them in the future.”

“Otherwise, if I enter some formation, I might end up trapped inside forever.”

Lu Changsheng pondered to himself.

However, despite saying this, he currently had two methods to break formations.

One was using barrier-breaking talismans.

The other was the eighth divine ability of his Nine Treasures Dao Bone, the Barrier-Breaking Divine Light, which could break through various formations and restrictions.

Lu Changsheng walked around the peak twice, but no matter what, he couldn’t enter the real top of Biyun Peak.

He nodded with satisfaction and said, “That’s enough, Zixiao.”

As soon as he spoke, the scenery before him began to change. Lu Changsheng found himself standing right in the center of the peak.

Ling Zixiao and Xiao Xiyue were not far from him.

“How was it, my lord?”

Ling Zixiao, holding the formation disc, asked with a slight smile.

“Not bad. The illusion and confusion effects of the Five Elements Reversal Formation are flawless. We just need to test the spiritual energy and aura aspects.”

Lu Changsheng said with a smile.

Then he turned to Xiao Xiyue and said, “Xiyue, I’ll release my spiritual energy and aura next. See if you can sense or detect it.”

“Alright.”

Xiao Xiyue nodded gently in response.

“In that case, Fellow Daoist Xiao, I’ll activate the formation for you now.”

Ling Zixiao said to Xiao Xiyue.

Then she channeled her spiritual power into the formation disc.

Lu Changsheng could clearly see waves of spiritual energy surging through the formation on the peak, and a five-colored crystal light flowed, enveloping Xiao Xiyue.

“Changsheng, it’s ready.”

Xiao Xiyue said.

She wore a moon-white dress, her face cool and calm, looking in Lu Changsheng’s direction. Her beautiful eyes were as clear and serene as the moon in the sky.

“Good.”

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng stirred the spiritual energy in his dantian.

With the enhancement of the Xuan Yuan Pearl, his Foundation Establishment mid-stage spiritual power surged like a raging river, emanating an aura that only Foundation Establishment Late-Stage cultivators should have.

“This…”

Seeing this, Ling Zixiao was stunned, her beautiful eyes showing surprise and doubt.

She knew that Lu Changsheng had just broken through to Foundation Establishment mid-stage on his way back from Nine Heavens Immortal City.

But now, the spiritual pressure fluctuating around Lu Changsheng far exceeded the mid-stage, reaching the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

“Xiyue, can you sense my spiritual energy and aura?”

Lu Changsheng asked Xiao Xiyue.

“My lord, Daoist Xiao can’t hear your voice right now.”

Ling Zixiao spoke up, then made a hand seal and relayed the message to Xiao Xiyue.

“Changsheng, I can’t sense your spiritual pressure, but I can vaguely feel your location.”

Xiao Xiyue replied.

“You can vaguely feel my location?”

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow.

He thought to himself, “There’s even this kind of operation?”

“My lord, do you and Daoist Xiao have any means of communication?”

“Currently, the formation mainly has three effects: concealment, illusion, and confusion. If you and Daoist Xiao are both within the formation and have some treasure, you might still be able to sense each other’s presence.”

Ling Zixiao immediately explained to Lu Changsheng.

“Means of communication? Treasure?”

Lu Changsheng instinctively took out a Yin-Yang Communication Talisman.

But the next moment, he guessed what was happening.

Dao Foundation!

When he condensed his Dao Foundation, he used Xiao Xiyue’s Supreme Moon essence as the base.

So there was a mysterious connection between them.

This was also why the effects of Dual Cultivation with Xiao Xiyue were far better than with others.

Now that he wasn’t using the jade pendant to conceal his aura, and with his spiritual energy and pressure at their peak, Xiao Xiyue could vaguely sense him through their Dao Foundation connection, even though they were not far apart.

“It’s fine, this doesn’t affect anything.”

Lu Changsheng said, then mentally activated his Nine Treasures Dao Bone: “Nine Treasures as desired—Qi!”

“Boom!”

In an instant, the spiritual energy in Lu Changsheng’s dantian surged like a bursting dam or an erupting volcano, and the spiritual pressure around him rose rapidly.

This spiritual pressure was so intense that even Ling Zixiao beside him felt the pressure.

“This…”

Ling Zixiao looked at Lu Changsheng before her, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

Lu Changsheng displaying Foundation Establishment Late-Stage spiritual pressure had already surprised her greatly.

But now, his spiritual pressure was still climbing, almost surpassing the Foundation Establishment realm.

She felt the air around her becoming heavy and dense, making it difficult to breathe.

“Contracted with a Third-Tier demon king, Foundation Establishment mid-stage, yet displaying spiritual pressure almost beyond the peak of Foundation Establishment…”

At this moment, Ling Zixiao didn’t know what to say about Lu Changsheng.

After so many years together, she thought she had seen the tip of Lu Changsheng’s iceberg.

But now, she felt that Lu Changsheng was once again shrouded in mystery, just like when they first met.

Even if Lu Changsheng said he was a reincarnated powerful being or an immortal, she would believe it.

“Zixiao.”

Lu Changsheng slightly reduced the spiritual pressure on Ling Zixiao and called out to her.

He wanted her to ask Xiao Xiyue if she could sense his spiritual energy and aura now.

When Ling Zixiao asked, Xiao Xiyue said she didn’t sense any magical energy.

“Good, that’s fine,” Lu Changsheng said with a hearty laugh.

He stopped the effect of the Nine Treasures Dao Bone, causing his energy to drop suddenly. It left him feeling empty.

“Changsheng,” Xiao Xiyue’s eyes, cold and beautiful as the moon, softened when she saw Lu Changsheng.

A moment later, she asked with surprise, “Changsheng, have you already reached mid Foundation Establishment?”

She and Lu Changsheng had broken through to Foundation Establishment together.

But she had only recently reached the Third Level of Foundation Establishment.

Lu Changsheng had already reached mid Foundation Establishment, which amazed her.

“I had a bit of luck earlier,” Lu Changsheng said with a smile, downplaying it.

Xiao Xiyue didn’t say much more.

After all, compared to Lu Changsheng’s other abilities, reaching mid Foundation Establishment didn’t seem that impressive.

“Since there’s no problem, Zixiao, I’ll bring out the Tree King now. You two should stand back a bit,” Lu Changsheng said to Ling Zixiao and Xiao Xiyue.

“Alright,” the two women nodded and moved to Hall of Everlasting Life. They were curious to see what kind of demon king Lu Changsheng had contracted.

Even with their vast experience, they had never been this close to such a powerful demon king.

“Extract,” Lu Changsheng focused his mind and looked at the Sumeru Tree King in his system.

The next moment, there was a loud boom!

A towering ancient tree, several hundred feet tall, appeared.

The tree’s body looked like gold and jade, with crystalline light flowing through it. Wisps of auspicious energy rose from its roots, giving it a divine appearance.

The tree’s crown had peculiar leaves. Some were bright gold, some crystal clear like jade, others emerald green. They gave off a rich fragrance and divine light.

As it swayed gently, it seemed to emit Buddhist chants, calming one’s mind.

When the Sumeru Tree King appeared, the entire mountaintop was filled with auspicious energy. It was like an undulating ocean, almost filling the entire peak of Biyun Mountain. It leaked out strands of vast, boundless energy.

“So this is the third-rank Tree King that young master (Changsheng) contracted,” Ling Zixiao and Xiao Xiyue said with surprise, staring at the Sumeru Tree King.

Even though they didn’t know what kind of tree demon it was, they could tell from its appearance that it wasn’t an ordinary third-rank demon plant.

They would believe it if someone told them it was some rare heavenly spirit plant.

The Sumeru Tree King’s appearance was simply too extraordinary.

“Master,” a pure, ethereal voice sounded.

This voice was soft and beautiful, distant and ethereal. It was like a heavenly sound filled with compassion, easily soothing the restlessness in others’ hearts. It could even make those full of evil put down their knives and repent.

This “Master” made Lu Changsheng’s heart flutter slightly.

He hadn’t expected the Sumeru Tree King’s voice to be so pleasant. If it were to take human form, its appearance would likely be just as impressive.

He knew the Sumeru Tree King was asking if it should take root here.

In its current state, the Sumeru Tree King could move for short periods.

“This place will do. The palace takes up too much space, you can take it directly into your Sumeru space,” Lu Changsheng said after a brief thought.

“But be careful not to damage the mountain’s formation.”

After extracting the Sumeru Tree King, Lu Changsheng had a detailed understanding of it.

It was at the early stage of the third rank, with its own internal grotto-heaven nurturing a small world.

This world could accommodate people, objects, demon beasts, or be used for cultivation and other purposes.

Moreover, the Sumeru Tree King could actively absorb people or objects into its Sumeru grotto-heaven.

This was one of the Sumeru Tree King’s abilities.

When facing enemies, it could suppress and imprison them in the Sumeru grotto-heaven.

After speaking, he pulled Ling Zixiao and Xiao Xiyue to fly to one side.

“Yes, Master,” the pure, ethereal voice sounded again. Then a golden divine light fell, shining on Hall of Everlasting Life.

Instantly, the huge palace disappeared before the three of them, leaving only an empty space.

“Young master, does this Tree King senior possess spatial Divine Abilities?” Ling Zixiao asked Lu Changsheng.

“That’s right. Its name is Sumeru. It has its own grotto-heaven inside, nurturing a small world. From now on, we can live directly in this grotto-heaven,” Lu Changsheng explained.

Ling Zixiao and Xiao Xiyue looked at each other, speechless.

The shock Lu Changsheng had given them today was simply too great.

Earlier, they thought the Tree King Lu Changsheng had contracted was just an ordinary third-rank demon king.

But after seeing the Sumeru Tree King, they realized their thoughts were too simple.

Come to think of it, how could something Lu Changsheng valued so highly, even using formations to conceal it, be just an ordinary third-rank demon king?

However, Lu Changsheng had openly shown this Tree King to them, making them feel trusted.

After taking Hall of Everlasting Life directly into the Sumeru space, the Sumeru Tree King began to take root at the top of Biyun Peak.

Crystal-clear, golden roots as thick as water barrels burst with vibrant life energy and brilliant light, slowly entering the mountain body to draw spiritual energy from Biyun Peak’s spiritual veins.

After a long while, the Sumeru Tree King completed its rooting.

The crystalline light flowing through its body gradually receded, making it look like a golden, towering ancient tree standing at the top of Biyun Peak.

“Sumeru,” Lu Changsheng called out, bringing Ling Zixiao and Xiao Xiyue to the front of the Sumeru Tree King.

Whoosh! The next moment, a golden light door appeared before them.

The three walked through the light door, as if passing through a water screen, entering the Sumeru Tree King’s internal grotto-heaven.

Lu Changsheng surveyed the scene inside the grotto-heaven.

In terms of range, it was only about ten miles in diameter. It had mountains, streams, rocks, and trees, but it looked like a wasteland with only a lonely Hall of Everlasting Life.

The sky above and the edges of the grotto-heaven were a hazy gray, still in an unevolved state.

After all, the Sumeru Tree King was only at the third rank.

Although it had its own internal world, this world was still in the nurturing stage.

Only when its strength increased could it truly evolve into a small world.

There was spiritual energy in the air, but it was very thin, only slightly better than the mortal world, not even comparable to a first-rank spiritual vein.

“Looks like it needs some good renovation,” Lu Changsheng said, stroking his chin as he looked at the current situation.

Although it was habitable now, in his view, the conditions were quite poor.

In the future, this would be their True Core base, so it naturally needed to be well-built.

“Please speak, Master,” the Sumeru Tree King’s voice sounded, soft and pure, calming one’s mind.

It indicated that it could consume energy to make some improvements to this world.

“Growing some grass and trees around the palace wouldn’t consume much, right?” Lu Changsheng asked the Sumeru Tree King.

He knew that for the Sumeru Tree King to do anything in the grotto-heaven, it would consume spiritual energy, even its essence.

“Yes, Master,” the Sumeru Tree King responded.

In an instant, golden specks appeared all around, bringing life to the area around Hall of Everlasting Life. Green grass began to grow.

“This looks much better,” Lu Changsheng nodded approvingly.

Then his mind stirred as he looked at the Spirit Eye Spring in his system space.

“Extract!”