Yang Wudi charged toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well Valley in a fit of rage. Going home was fine, but being chased home by his grandson was not. He was determined to teach this brat a lesson today, and it was the perfect opportunity to test Yun Ming's current strength.
Facing the white barrier set up by Yun Ming, Yang Wudi's right hand ignited with dense black soul light, and he threw a heavy punch the moment he raised his arm.
Whoosh—
The wind from his fist whistled, sharp and biting. It was clear that Yang Wudi had no intention of holding back, yet when his fist struck the barrier, it met no resistance or obstruction, passing into the barrier with ease.
Yang Wudi felt something was wrong, but he plunged in headfirst anyway.
It had been fine when only his hand reached in earlier, with no changes occurring, but now that his entire body had entered, he felt the scene before his eyes twist rapidly. He was carried off to an unknown location within this distorted passage. Yang Wudi could sense that this was the result of Yun Ming's spatial ability, but based on his own understanding of space, he was completely unable to break through it.
The process was brief; the distorted scenery lasted only for an instant before Yang Wudi's vision returned to normal.
Yang Wudi looked around and discovered that he was still outside the valley.
Vaguely, Yang Wudi had some guesses about the composition of this barrier, but he still needed to confirm them.
Afterward, Yang Wudi tried to break through from several different directions, but the results remained the same.
Yang Wudi's heart sank. As expected! Yun Ming had created a barrier-type teleportation portal; as long as his body entered the barrier, he would be thrown back out.
At this moment, Yun Ming's voice drifted out from within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well Valley.
"Grandfather, don't waste your energy. I won't let you in until you purge the energy from your body!"
Yang Wudi felt a warmth in his heart; Yun Ming was looking out for him after all, but he was still annoyed by the method.
"You brat, you've grown bold, haven't you? Daring to make a move against your elder!"
"I am your grandfather!!"
Yun Ming's voice drifted over leisurely.
"I know, I never said you weren't. And 'making a move' is an exaggeration; I merely 'invited' you out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. I didn't do anything else."
Yang Wudi said sternly.
"You call this an 'invitation'?! Can't you use your mouth to invite someone?"
Yun Ming: "I did, but you didn't want to listen, did you? You wanted to wait until you finished researching the medicinal herbs before leaving."
Although he hadn't said anything, the Evil King had 'heard' it all. While Yang Wudi was surprised that Yun Ming knew his thoughts, he simply assumed it was because Yun Ming understood him well.
Yang Wudi: "So you just forced the issue?"
Yun Ming: "Yes. The herbs are right there; you can study them whenever you like later. Compared to that, I am more concerned about your health."
"..."
Afterward, the grandfather and grandson exchanged a few more words on the matter, but Yun Ming remained unyielding.
In this world, most parents cannot win against their children, and the same held true for a grandfather and grandson. In the end, Yang Wudi could only follow his grandson's advice and return to recuperate. After all, he couldn't very well summon his Martial Soul and start a real battle!
Sensing that Yang Wudi's Soul Power fluctuations had truly faded into the distance, Yun Ming breathed a sigh of relief. It was better to resolve the energy issues of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well sooner rather than later.
Having dealt with the problem of his stubborn grandfather, Yun Ming turned his attention back to his own affairs. Aside from visiting Yang Wudi, he had come here to find something.
Yun Ming walked toward the northeast side of the Ice and Fire Well. There stood a lush little tree less than a meter tall, its trunk flowing with faint golden patterns, looking quite spirited.
This was the Golden Tree Sapling. When Yun Ming had moved the Golden Tree, he had severed nine branches and sent them back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Yang Wudi had found these branches very interesting, noting that their vitality was no less than that of an Immortal Herb, so he had thought to use the favorable terrain of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to cultivate them. The result was what stood before him now. He had succeeded! He had cultivated the current sapling.
As for why Yun Ming came looking for this thing? Naturally, it was for cultivation! The first step of Yun Ming's three-step path to godhood, the expansion and stabilization of the Sky Support Space, relied on it.
As the Life Core of the Douluo Continent, the Golden Tree possessed the innate ability to nourish and stabilize the world. Wasn't this exactly what Yun Ming needed? It was a perfect fit! Although, due to the uniqueness of the Life Core, this Golden Tree sapling could never be as powerful as the original body in the future, it was still extraordinary.
Yun Ming thought of his accidental creation of the Dead Realm, his experience searching for the Golden Tree to repair it, and how both had helped him solve the difficulties of the first stage. He couldn't help but sigh.
"I suppose this is the arrangement of fate!"
Perhaps destiny had destined Yun Ming to walk a path different from ordinary people.
Clearing the sentimentality from his mind, Yun Ming began his preparations. This Golden Tree was still too weak; he needed to use the terrain of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to artificially nurture it further.
Yun Ming's clothes began to billow as golden light surged violently. Beneath his feet, layers of complex and profound array patterns appeared, spreading rapidly toward the surroundings, with the Golden Tree sapling at the center.
As the array patterns unfolded, the hand seals in Yun Ming's hands changed rapidly. The great array was activated, and the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well began to tremble slightly. Strands of strange red and blue energy drifted up, heading toward the Golden Tree sapling, which trembled incessantly as it received these strange energies.
Soon, the changes in the Golden Tree sapling were no longer just trembling. The originally yellowish leaves began to turn from green to yellow, slowly withering and falling, only to sprout new leaves and grow wantonly, returning to a lush state. Then, they turned from green to yellow again, repeating the cycle as if the four seasons were rotating rapidly upon this single sapling.
The Four Seasons Ascension Array was the name of the array Yun Ming was currently using. Its effect was simple: it mobilized the power of the earth, supplemented by the secret power of time, to help plants grow rapidly. It was a secret technique Poseidon had specifically taught Yun Ming for this moment.
As the array operated, more and more strange energy was poured into the Golden Tree sapling, and the sapling itself began to grow at a speed visible to the naked eye.
One meter. Two meters. Three meters.
The array provided by Poseidon was very effective. In less than an hour, the Golden Tree sapling had grown from a small tree of less than a meter to seven meters in size, quickly moving past its juvenile stage. Yun Ming estimated the requirements for the Sky Support Space and felt it still wasn't enough. To be safe, it was best to let the Golden Tree grow a few more meters.
Yun Ming thought this, and naturally, he acted on it. But for some reason, an unexpected situation occurred: waves of faint, ethereal dragon roars began to echo in Yun Ming's ears.
The sudden change made Yun Ming alert. While maintaining the array, he split off his Spiritual Power to probe the surrounding environment, attempting to find the source of the dragon roars, but he could find nothing.
Yun Ming frowned slightly, but nothing else happened. With no clues, he could only wait and see.
Time passed second by second. Aside from the originally faint dragon roars becoming increasingly clear and loud, no other anomalies occurred, until that moment, when a new change emerged.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader