Ling Yun and two women had arrived at the cliff that Xiao Yin was referring to, but the entrance to the cave was covered in strange trees, and there was a powerful formation around the area.
"No wonder they couldn't find this cave. This formation is not an ordinary formation, and there are several other formations within it."
Even so, it wasn't a big problem for them, and Zhou Yu could lead them into the cave easily. However, they did not expect that the inside of the cave was quite spacious, but they saw a completely pitch-black tree; even the leaves were pitch-black too.
"Do you know anything about this tree?" Ling Yun asked as he observed it. "How can such a tree have such a powerful demon aura and carrion scent?"
"Hmm?" Zhou Yu also looked at it seriously. "Honestly, I have never seen this kind of tree before, but I suspect that this tree is related to those heretic cultivators, and they deliberately planted it here for that ferocious ghost."
Meanwhile, Jiao Lu covered his nose with Qi and whined at them. "Mo Chen! Let's get out of here! The aura of this tree makes me feel uneasy, and I have a bad feeling about it."
"If you continue to complain, I will leave you in the village alone."
"No!" Jiao Lu shouted as she shook her head vigorously. "I don't want to be alone in that village! So don't leave me there!"
"In that case, stop complaining." Ling Yun then asked Xiao Yin. 'Do you have data about this tree?'
[Wait a moment, I'm checking my database, Master.] A while later, Xiao Yin told Ling Yun. [Based on my database, it is the Demonic Corpse Tree, and it can only grow by absorbing nutrients from the corpses and souls of living creatures, especially humans. It will mature after a hundred years, and it will produce some demon fruits after two hundred years, which are of great benefit to those heretic cultivators. Since you have a Devil Qi Core, they will also be very beneficial for you.]
'Two hundred years? Isn't that too long?' Ling Yun asked with a raised eyebrow.
[You are indeed right, Master. The process would take too long if the tree grew naturally, but its growth would be faster if they nourished it with so many corpses and souls.]
Ling Yun's expression turned ugly after he heard that. 'So their purpose in slaughtering the villagers was to speed up the growth of this tree?'
[I think so, Master. After all, this tree is very beneficial for them, so you don't need to be surprised if the heretic cultivators will do such things. However, I don't know what their plans are behind it, and they might have prepared a more sinister plan.]
'Yeah.' Ling Yun replied as he nodded. 'I should tell this matter to Senior Chen, so they can investigate this matter more deeply.'
[Anyway, you might be able to find the same tree if you go to other cursed villages.]
'Hmm?' Ling Yun thought as he rubbed his smooth chin. 'Can I move this tree to Yunlong Zuzhai?'
[Zhou Yu should be able to help you with that, Master. However, its growth won't be fast, especially since there are no corpses in the forest in Yunlong Zuzhai, and you have to kill a lot of beasts to provide nutrients for it to speed up its growth.]
'I see.' Ling Yun nodded in understanding and explained to Zhou Yu about the tree.
Zhou Yu was not surprised to hear that, but Jiao Lu was genuinely shocked by Ling Yun's explanation. "Do you want to take this tree, Mo Chen? Doesn't that mean you have to kill a lot of humans and beasts to grow it?"
"This tree is very unique, and its fruits will be useful for me, so I will move it to my residence and grow it there."
"Does that mean you're a demon like them?" Jiao Lu asked with a frown as she moved away from Ling Yun.
"Do I look like a demon?" Jiao Lu shook her head at him, and Ling Yun showed his light qi. "See? How can a demon have light qi? You certainly know that light qi and dark qi are contradictory to each other, right?"
"That's right." Jiao Lu responded with a nod before asking him again. "Then why do you want to have that tree?"
"See this?" Ling Yun raised his left hand and showed his dark qi, but his action made Jiao Lu look at him with a look of complete shock. "You guys are narrow-minded in thinking that those with dark qi are demons, but not all dark qi possessors are demons, and I am one of them."
Jiao Lu smiled bitterly after hearing that. "It's not my fault, right? Since ancient times, people have considered those possessing dark qi to be heretical cultivators, especially since they always commit many evil acts. Moreover, you're a freak, and I've lived for so long, but this is the first time I saw a cultivator possess light qi and dark qi at the same time."
"Heh!" Ling Yun snorted softly and withdrew both his qi, and he then said to Zhou Yu. "I want you to move this tree to our residence now."
"I think you shouldn't do that now." Zhou Yu rejected Ling Yun's request as she shook her head. "Those heretical cultivators will notice if we move this tree now, and they will come here straight away. Moreover, some of them will definitely be stronger than me, and I will have a hard time protecting you. It would be better if you dealt with that ferocious ghost first, and I'll take you guys straight to the entrance to the Ancient Garden afterward, so we don't have to meet them."
"All right, we will follow your idea." Ling Yun unhesitatingly agreed with Zhou Yu. "However, I don't have the technique to purify the ghosts of those villagers, so we have to stay in this village first while waiting for my mother to get an answer from Zhiyu Yushen."
"I think it's fine." Zhou Yu then told him. "Moreover, your qi has started to leak out, which means you will break through soon, and your lightning tribulations will be stronger than before."
Jiao Lu could only sigh helplessly while listening to their conversation, and she wanted to leave the village as soon as possible, but her returning jade was still in Zhou Yu's hands, and she was sure that she would stop her if she ran away from them.
"Let's go back to the village then."
.
.
.
"We didn't find anything strange in this village, husband." Ling Yu'er said to Ling Yun as soon as they appeared.
Yun Gongzhu pointed at several areas, as she also said to him. "Yueling and I have checked those areas, but we didn't find anything there."
"Did you find anything?" Xiao Xiao asked him.
"Yes." Ling Yun nodded to her. "I found a unique tree on the hill behind the village, and I want to move it to our residence, but I have to deal with the ghosts first."
"Does that mean we will spend the night here?" Qiao Lingzhi asked in a frightened voice.
"Yes, we will spend the night in this village, and I will also prepare to break through." Ling Yun then threw the Icarus into the sky. "You guys can stay inside my flying artifact, so you two don't have to be scared like this all the time, and you also won't meet those ghosts."
"That's good." Nangong Nichang and Qiao Lingzhi said it with a sigh of relief.
"I will go with them too."
"No." Ling Yun rejected Jiao Yu as he turned to him. "You have to stay here with us, or I will ask Zhou Yu to send you to another cursed village and leave you there alone."
"Ugh!" Jiao Lo stomped her feet again and again. "Why? Why are you so mean to me? You allow them to stay in your flying artifact, but you insist that I must stay in this damn village!"
"They are my friends, so I treat them well." Ling Yun then lifted Jiao Lu's chin as he used his bloodline power. "As for you, Tao Ruirui sent you to get close to me, right? Moreover, she wanted to use you so she could get close to Xiao'er, right? In that case, I won't let you leave my side, and you have to stay in this village with us."
'Ugh! Damn it! His bloodline is suppressing mine again!' However, Jiao Lu felt her body become hot again after Ling Yun used his finger technique on her, and her eyes quickly became clouded with lust; even her chest moved up and down rapidly. Even so, she held herself back so hard not to give in to the sensation, especially since there were so many people around them.
However, Jiao Yu's expression could not escape the observation of Ling Yun's three wives, so they brought Nangong Nichang and Qiao Lingzhi up to the Icarus directly.
Yun Gongzhu was also aware of that, but she couldn't care less about Ling Yun's actions, and she chose to go to another area again.
'What has he actually done to me? Why is my body getting hotter?' Without realizing it, Jiao Lu was already inhaling the scent of lust that Ling Yun had been suppressing for the past few months.
Suddenly, Tian Yueling asked him. "Can I talk to you alone?"
- To Be Continued -
