Chapter 1878: The Wood Clan’s Great Ascension

The handsome young man’s eyes flickered with golden and silver flames, yet an eerie chill gradually emanated from his body.

Suddenly, with a single hand seal, a “poof” sound echoed as a layer of golden spiritual flames erupted from within him. In a swirling motion, it transformed into an exquisitely ornate golden robe, enveloping his entire figure.

Next, the youth reached out toward the crystal orb with a grasping motion.

With a “whoosh,” the orb was instantly drawn toward him, vanishing into his body in a bizarre flash.

“Daring to take what nearly cost me my life in the Immortal Realm… No matter who you are, as an Immortal Envoy, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and erase you from existence! But now that my Dharma Body has been reborn, I can no longer remain here.”

The young man raised his head and muttered softly. Though his words should have been filled with fury, his face remained utterly expressionless, creating an uncanny dissonance.

A moment later, he rubbed his hands together, golden light flashing as he raised them toward the sky.

A golden sphere of light materialized, initially no larger than a fist. After a few flickers, it rapidly expanded.

A resonant hum filled the entire chamber!

Within moments, deep beneath the ocean, the mysterious palace trembled with muffled booms as several golden beams erupted from within, shooting in all directions.

Then came a series of deafening roars as even more golden light surged forth, and the entire palace collapsed in an instant.

The entire area was engulfed in the eerie golden radiance.

As the light dissipated, only the golden-robed youth remained, standing impassively on the now-empty ruins of the palace.

He lowered his arms as if he had never moved an inch.

Shortly after, a streak of golden light shot out from the sea, circled once, and then streaked toward a distant horizon—the direction of the Wind Yuan Continent!

—

In the Wood Clan territory of the Wind Yuan Continent, a barefoot woman in a white gown hovered gracefully above a towering emerald tree, facing off against a stern elder in green robes.

Beneath her, a hundred yards below, a grotesque man in black armor was semi-surrounded by a pale-faced middle-aged couple.

The armored man crossed his arms, his eyes gleaming with hostility as he glared at the pair.

The couple—a scholarly man and a delicate, beautiful woman—watched him warily, clearly apprehensive.

“I may not know your origins, but sneaking into our Wood Clan’s sacred land and plucking over a dozen Black Spirit Flowers—do you truly believe our clan lacks a Mahayana cultivator?” the green-robed elder growled coldly at the woman.

“Since I dared to come here, naturally I’ve done my research. You must be the Wood Clan’s Grand Elder, Zou. But Elder Zou, is it worth getting so worked up over a few flowers?” the white-gowned woman replied leisurely, her demeanor unshaken.

“Hmph! You speak lightly. The Black Spirit Flowers possess miraculous properties. Even our sacred tree produces only a hundred every ten thousand years. You’ve taken nearly half of our remaining stock. Do you truly have no explanation?” The elder’s expression darkened.

The Grand Elder had been meditating nearby when he sensed the intrusion. Had he not emerged, he might never have discovered the theft.

Yet despite his fury, the woman’s unfathomable power gave even him pause, preventing immediate retaliation.

“An explanation? I left half behind—that’s mercy enough. Your cultivation is decent, but you’re no match for me. What’s the point of empty threats?” The woman’s eyes glimmered, her words igniting the elder’s rage.

“Very well. If you hold our Wood Clan in such contempt, I’ll test your abilities myself. If you prove stronger, I’ll order the entire clan to stand down and let you leave unhindered.” The elder laughed bitterly.

“If you lose, any Wood Clan member who dares attack me will only be courting death. But do you truly wish to fight here?” The woman glanced at the colossal tree below and suddenly smiled, radiant as a blooming garden.

Even the elder’s heart skipped a beat before he steeled himself. “Our battle would devastate this land. Follow me.”

With a flick of his sleeve, a thick green beam shot skyward, morphing into a colossal sword hundreds of yards long. With a single slash, the air split with a thunderous boom, revealing a jagged rift over a dozen yards long, its depths glowing faintly yellow.

The elder stepped into the rift without hesitation, as if the spatial turbulence posed no threat.

The woman smirked, a hint of disdain in her eyes. She glanced down at the armored man. “Wait here. I’ll return shortly.”

“Yes, Holy Master!” The brutish man bowed deeply, his demeanor reverent.

With a light step, a pink flower blossomed beneath her feet, lifting her gently into the rift.

Soon, the rift erupted with the sounds of wind, thunder, and explosions, blinding light seeping through as if the world within were tearing apart.

The Wood Clan couple exchanged uneasy glances, while the armored man sneered, utterly confident in his mistress.

The chaos lasted only minutes before silence returned, the rift dimming once more.

The couple tensed as they watched, but the armored man remained unfazed.

Then, green light flashed—the elder emerged, pale and shaken, his eyes betraying fear as he glanced back.

The woman followed, serene as ever.

“May I leave now?” she asked coolly.

“Mu Jun, Mu Jiao, relay my order: No Wood Clan member is to hinder these two. Let them depart freely,” the elder commanded through gritted teeth.

“But Grand Elder, the Black Spirit Flowers are vital to our clan—” the man protested.

“Silence! Do you dare question me?” the elder roared.

“N-no! I obey at once!” The man hastily bowed.

With a flick of his wrist, a stack of glowing talismans appeared. He inscribed a few characters midair before sending them flying, vanishing into the surroundings.

The woman smoothed her hair, smiled faintly, and beckoned the armored man before turning to leave.

The man laughed wildly, black mist swirling around him as he transformed into a dark gust, following her.

The elder’s face was icy as he watched them go, but he made no move to stop them.

“Mu Jiao, your Azure Spirit Eye is peerless. What did you see?” he asked abruptly.

“Forgive me, Grand Elder. Even at full power, I saw little. The woman’s form was obscured by countless floral illusions—I couldn’t discern her true nature. Could she be a wood spirit like us?” the woman replied hesitantly.

“No. She’s no kin of ours. Likely, it’s her cultivation art. But her power is extraordinary. For her to appear near our borders as the Demon Calamity looms… who knows if it’s a blessing or a curse?” The elder sighed deeply.