Immaculate Wood, silver-white throughout, originally had withered branches that had shrunk and folded to form the base for the Sword Lotus. Now its branches were stretching out, somewhat resembling the ’Bronze Divine Wood’ An Jing had seen in a past life, only wider.
At this moment, crystalline buds were rising from its branches in supreme regularity, resembling clusters of crystals; a shallow golden halo was spreading within and growing stronger, forming an incredibly complex Array Formation. Visible strands of Spiritual Fiend flowed along the formations, forming mysterious runes that resonated with the entire Primordial Spirit Cave, causing the spirit land cavern to vibrate slightly, as if a colossal beast was breathing gently.
As the Primordial Spirit Cave breathed, the space-time around the Immaculate Wood began to slowly twist, hiding this rare Spirit Wood into the Earth Pulse Hub’s ’secret realm’ - a strong Earth Vein could create a geomantic space between the present world and the Netherworld, located both underground and in the Netherworld; this is the so-called secret realm, and also where the space-time of the Earth Vein Formations of many cities in Da Chen is situated.
In some sense, the entire Netherworld is a creation of Heaven and Earth.
The Immaculate Wood, a core Divine Wood naturally nurtured by the Spirit Vein, was supposed to be in a secret realm. However, Shuo Yueying, for the sake of advancing to Manifesting Holy, occupied that space for herself and instead threw the Immaculate Wood out.
Nevertheless, she wasn’t a Creature of the Demon Dao, so she didn’t completely destroy the Immaculate Wood to benefit herself, nor did she take the Primordial Spirit Sword Lotus, still leaving an opportunity for the Immaculate Wood to return to normal.
While the Immaculate Wood was returning to its original place, it also pulled An Jing along, allowing An Jing to enter the Earth Vein space.
Strangely yet unsurprisingly, this Earth Vein space, much like the Earth Pulse Hub of Da Chen, bore traces of man-made construction.
Upon entering the Earth Vein space, An Jing arrived in front of a majestic hall built from large blocks of green jade and sealed with white gold.
This hall was so grand, standing in the open Earth Vein space, surrounded by near-solid golden halos, that it made one feel insignificant.
The Immaculate Wood parted ways with An Jing, as it was a Central Spirit Object of the Earth Pulse Hub and returned to the center upon entry, whereas An Jing, as a visitor, appeared below the hall.
Before them, the green jade staircase comprised of one hundred and eight steps, corresponding to the number of Heaven Star, where streaks of starlight appeared and disappeared, extending from the stairs to the hall door.
On both sides of the jade steps stood Coiled Dragon Pillars, with dragons and snakes bearing fangs and claws engraved upon them. Weapons such as knives, swords, spears, halberds, axes, and picks were embedded within these pillars, piercing through the entwined dragons and snakes, nailing them in place and faintly forming a Hundred Gold Hundred Evil Soldiers’ Battle Formation.
These weapons must have been Magic Artifacts in the past, each crafted with particular care, but perhaps due to their ancient age, even those made of Spirit Iron had decayed.
But even in decay, the icy Fiendish Qi they exuded still made this path extremely solemn and silence prevailing, with each step taken potentially bearing the pain of a thousand cuts.
The reason ’potentially’ is used is that An Jing cultivated the Taibai Luminous Godly Ban and bore the Seven Fiend Heavenly Mandate, so this Fiendish Qi did about as much harm to him as a slightly warm spring bath — even evoking a sense of comfort like returning home.
"Such a powerful Sealing Dragon Formation!"
As they walked, Subdue Evil exclaimed, yet also raised his guard: "An Jing, this place is no ordinary site. Look at this hall, a White Jade Glaze Top, Golden Edge Dragon Pillars, Hundred Gold Hundred Evil Soldiers - the main hall itself structured from three hundred and sixty-five Dragon Blood Pines, even the Han White Jade sculptures on the balustrades are of Golden Winged Great Peng...If a Dragon King was suppressed here, it would go limp!"
"It does seem to be the place where ’Bitter Silence’ is sealed."
An Jing still remembered, the Virtuous King had said that the body of the Exalted Great Heavenly Demon Bitter Silence was originally a Half-demon Ice Dragon, initially mediocre in power, which later, after succumbing to devilry, grew significantly stronger, but ultimately was slain by the Heavenly Sword: "But Bitter Silence was only a Half-demon, right? Is the Sealing Dragon Formation strong enough?"
"You’re overthinking it."
Subdue Evil shook his head: "The Sealing Dragon Formation seals dragons not because it’s especially powerful against them but because it’s so potent it can seal dragons. As for other True Spirits, any common Formation could deal with them, there’s no need for a Sealing Dragon Formation."
"So that’s how it is, no wonder..."
An Jing came to a realization.
He was nearly at the hall door; this place was well-preserved because, unlike Hanging Fate Valley, which had been eroded by a massive flood, the seals were intact. The hall boasted engraved beams and painted rafters, jade columns and golden beams, with wisps of misty vapor spreading around as if floating among clouds.
"Golden Condensed Water." An Jing noticed that the Earth Qi around the Earth Vein hall was extremely thick, thus condensing into quite dense vapor. Everything, whether it was the jade stone staircase or the climbing vines on the walls of the hall, was covered with a damp sheen of water. The sides of the hall indeed had many ponds with floating silver lotuses, similar to the Primordial Spirit Sword Lotus, but only ordinary Silver Lotus Spiritual Material.
The water also gave birth to wood, and around the hall, there were circles of Vine Trees, half gold, half wood – probably close kin to the Immaculate Wood. An Jing was moved: "This is truly a little Cave Heaven and Blessed Land."
"After all, this is a place of Ancient Path Sect’s sealing."
Subdue Evil was not surprised: "Just like the sacrificial valley deep inside Hanging Fate Manor, however, the Earth Vein space of Hanging Fate Valley is clearly about to fail, manifesting in reality, whereas here at Broken Blade Mountain, it’s still hidden within the Great Void, relatively well-preserved."
Stepping over one hundred and eight steps of the jade staircase, the hall doors were tightly closed. Without opening them, An Jing couldn’t proceed further, but before he did so, he frowned slightly.