Asura Emperor Venerable-Chapter 712: Success, World Tree Branch

Day by day, the World Tree continued to be destroyed, accompanied by the endless Shadow Demons.

Poor Shadow Demons, they should have been terrifying beings, but against Shi Hao, the Ten Yang Saint Body, they were innately suppressed and didn’t even have the qualifications to strike.

Moreover, Shi Hao also had the fast and safe recovery afforded by Immortal Abode and the River of Time, plunging the Shadow Demons further into despair—of course, they didn’t have such emotions.

In fact, they had no emotions at all. freēnovelkiss.com

No, that’s not right!

Shi Hao suddenly thought of when those Shadow Demons possessed living bodies, they definitely exhibited emotions.

Anger, rage, a crazed determination to destroy heavens and earth.

And with it came wisdom.

Shi Hao recalled the battles with Shadow Demons, when he had borrowed Yue Ying’s power and reached the level of the Great Sacrificial Heaven, so after the Shadow Demons possessed people like Bai Anping, regardless of whether they were previously dead or alive, or had wisdom or not, they were all instantly killed by him.

So, at that time, he didn’t pay it any mind.

Now, thinking back, he suddenly recalled many details.

Strange, the Shadow Demons themselves had no emotions or wisdom, yet once they possessed living people, they suddenly acquired wisdom.

—Was this wisdom belonging to the living?

Yue Ying said that Shadow Demons were beyond his current level of reach, involving incredibly profound depths that he didn’t need to worry about now, and couldn’t even if he wanted to.

Shi Hao thought to himself as he continued striking; the vast world became smaller and smaller, being wantonly destroyed by him.

A month later, only a tiny bit of the World Tree remained, and the number of Shadow Demons that died at Shi Hao’s hand was countless.

"What a pity. This is the dead Ancient World; otherwise, killing so many Shadow Demons would have earned you boundless merit, receiving the reward of heaven and earth!" the Purple Gold Rat said somewhat regretfully.

Shi Hao, on the other hand, focused his attention on the last remaining World Tree Branch. With so little left, if there was any essence part, it must definitely be within it.

Boom, he punched, combining the might of his Physical Power and strength, not only shattering the World Tree but also completely extinguishing the Shadow Demons without any resistance.

"Look!" the Purple Gold Rat suddenly pointed out.

In the dark starry sky, there was a stream of seven-colored light overflowing, heading towards the distance.

Shi Hao quickly operated his Little Star Universe, accelerating instantaneously, chasing after the seven-colored light.

The light was fast, but Shi Hao was faster, rapidly narrowing the distance between them. Then, he reached out and caught the light.

Instantly, the seven colors vanished, and what appeared in Shi Hao’s hand was a section of a branch, about a foot long, ordinary-looking, no different from any other ordinary branch.

But Shi Hao knew that the seven-colored light had just been emitting from this section of the branch.

He probed it with his Soul Force, sensing for a moment, and a smile appeared on his face.

Vast and magnificent, as if a whole world!

Indeed, it was the essence of the World Tree.

And this was the essence of a deceased World Tree, a World Tree that had lost endless energy and been eroded by the Shadow Demons for countless years. If it were in its prime, just how potent would its essence be?

Uh, if it really were such a World Tree, Shi Hao wouldn’t even be able to peel off a piece of its bark, let alone kindle the Incense Flame.

"We’ve struck it rich! We’ve made a fortune!" the Purple Gold Rat was both shouting and jumping, visibly overwhelmed with excitement, "Little Stone, this piece of the World Tree’s essence is beyond my expectations, not only sufficient for both our uses but perhaps even with some to spare!"

At that point, it could be completely sold off—of course, the other party would need to enter the Immortal Abode to refine it, which naturally entailed a bit of risk.

Shi Hao smiled as well, just about to store the World Tree Branch into the Immortal Abode, when an accident happened.

The World Tree branch burst forth with endless animosity and began to twitch violently, eager to flee far away.

What?

Shi Hao discovered that this hostility was directed at him.

What’s going on?

When Shi Hao tried to suppress it with his strength, he found that the branch was actually cracking open, as if it wanted to self-destruct.

"Take it," he said hastily, passing the branch to the Purple Gold Rat.

Upon receiving it, a strange scene unfolded. The World Tree branch immediately calmed down, ceased any struggle, and stopped its self-destruction.

"Hahaha!" the Purple Gold Rat laughed uproariously, "Little Stone, what unforgivable deed have you done that even a tree branch despises you? No, no, no, it must be because I am naturally blessed, loved by fortune and the World Tree itself is drawn to me."

Shi Hao was speechless. Naturally, he didn’t believe that the Purple Gold Rat had accumulated any merit, but why was the World Tree so repulsed by him?

Could it be because he had burned the World Tree before?

But that was already decayed and polluted. Even if it was destroyed, what’s the need for such resentment?

And hey, weren’t you reduced to just a snippet of essence? Do you now have eyes and ears too?

What in the world is going on?

Shi Hao carefully recalled the earlier details and then became certain that the World Tree’s aversion to him seemed instinctual, simply a pure dislike for his aura.

Why?

Although he had defied the heavens and earth on multiple occasions, he had done so within the permissions of certain rules, and besides, the heavens and earth had already punished him, which he had survived. Logically, that should have been the end of it.

Furthermore, this was from an earlier era, an ancient world, and its World Tree. Are they seriously holding a grudge?

Bizarre, too bizarre.

The Purple Gold Rat stored the World Tree inside its Immortal Abode. For now, it would keep it safe.

As for Shi Hao, he wasn’t worried about being unable to use it when the time came to light the Incense Flame. When necessary, he would forcibly suppress it and ignite it, needing only its energy and the origin of heaven and earth contained within.

"Let’s go," he said.

"Yeah, let’s snag some more Star Cores and River of Time fragments to strive for an early ascent to Great Sacrificial Heaven. Only then can one barely qualify as a master," the Purple Gold Rat also said with emotion.

Indeed, starting from Great Sacrificial Heaven, a being’s life evolves qualitatively. To roam the heavens—is that not akin to becoming an Immortal in the eyes of mortal man?

They left the rift and resumed their search for Star Cores and the River of Time.

Time flew. They traveled through one broken Celestial Body after another, with only modest gains.

Half a month later, they stopped by a shattered Celestial Body to rest.

"Hmm?" Shi Hao felt a stirring in his heart, sensing someone approaching.

He turned to look and saw a white-robed youth, tall and elegant, gentle and refined. Despite the cold and dark surroundings, he radiated a soft luminescence, incredibly vibrant.

"Excuse my intrusion, but have you by any chance seen someone named Nangong Zheng?" the white-robed youth inquired, his tone peaceful, inviting closeness.

Nangong Zheng?

Shi Hao was taken aback. He now knew that Nangong Zheng was from the Immortal Realm. Was this white-robed youth also a visitor from the Immortal Realm?

Hsss, just how many people from the Immortal Realm have come here?