Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Chapter 2181 Sweeping Across All Enemies

The aura emanating from Qinghe at this moment was completely different from the balanced and peaceful vitality of the Green Wood Longevity Technique cultivated by ordinary disciples of the Spirit Plant Peak.

"start!"

Elder Qingxu's voice broke the frozen space in the arena.

Qinghe's slender hands traced mysterious paths in front of her, and a vast and pure azure wood-elemental energy surged out from her body like a volcanic eruption, instantly filling the entire training ground.

All trees flourish in spring, and the myriad creatures of the universe descend!

Qinghe parted her red lips slightly and uttered a string of ancient and profound syllables. As she chanted, the ground within a radius of hundreds of miles around her transformed into the most fertile soil, and strangely shaped trees sprouted from the earth like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

These trees have dark blue-black trunks, are incredibly thick, and have rough bark that resembles dragon scales, radiating a cold, metallic sheen.

The tree is lush with foliage, each leaf as large as a fan, displaying a deep, dark green color, while the veins are a strange pale gold, subtly shimmering with light, exuding an ancient yet aggressive life force.

Almost in the blink of an eye, thousands of strange giant trees densely occupied half of the training ground, and were still spreading and multiplying outwards at an astonishing speed.

Countless thick branches, as if alive, wildly waved and extended in the air, whistling sharply as they surged towards Chen Fei in the center of the arena from all directions like a green tidal wave.

"This is... the Green Wood Longevity Technique? No, the aura is completely different."

"What terrifying wood-elemental energy! These trees really do resemble ancient divine trees."

"Senior Sister Qinghe was indeed hiding her strength. Is this her true trump card?"

"There are attacks from all sides, there's no way to dodge."

Discussions arose from the sidelines. These countless divine trees were more massive and dense than in any previous battle, almost completely blocking Chen Fei's space to dodge.

Faced with the endless tidal wave of branches that surged forth like a green hell, Chen Fei's eyes narrowed slightly, not out of fear, but out of a focused attention on seeing something new and exciting.

"That's interesting."

Chen Fei muttered to himself, then took a slight breath.

"Buzz!"

A terrifying aura capable of reducing everything to nothingness erupted from Chen Fei's center. In an instant, his body transformed into a point that was constantly collapsing inward.

The sense of one's existence becomes blurred and ethereal, as if one could merge into nothingness at any moment, yet one is the embodiment of nothingness itself.

Dao Xu's True Form!

"break!"

As Chen Fei uttered a simple syllable, the countless dark green branches that had surged in front of him suddenly twisted and collapsed like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, forming a chaotic vortex that kept rotating and devouring inward.

"Boom!"

The dark green branches disintegrated and vanished the moment they came into contact with the chaotic vortex. They were directly disintegrated and devoured by the power of the void at the most microscopic level, turning into the most primordial chaotic energy, which merged into the dark gray energy surrounding Chen Fei.

Chen Fei leaned forward slightly and took a step toward the spot where Qing He had originally stood.

"Boom!"

This step felt like stepping on everyone's heartbeat.

Chen Fei completely ignored the branches of the sacred tree that were surging forward again and just recklessly crashed into them.

"Bang bang bang!"

The dense explosions continued, and all the thick branches that blocked Chen Fei's path, even the newly grown divine tree trunks, crumbled and vanished as if made of paper when they came into contact with the chaotic aura surrounding Chen Fei.

In this way, in the most direct way, he carved a straight path through the boundless green forest. Wood chips flew everywhere, like a green downpour.

Its ferocity left all the onlookers speechless. This was no battle of magic; it was clearly a humanoid beast rampaging through the wild jungle.

However, when Chen Fei smashed through the last barrier with overwhelming force and rushed to the spot where Qing He had been standing, it was already empty.

Only a few dark green leaves drifted slowly down, and the ancient wood spirit aura in the space grew increasingly rich.

Qinghe's true form has vanished into the ever-expanding Divine Tree Forest, leaving no trace.

Chen Fei stopped, his blue robe fluttering slightly, and the dark gray chaotic energy around him slowly receded. He raised his head, his calm gaze sweeping over his surroundings.

As far as the eye can see, there is a strange forest filled with a wild and ancient atmosphere. Countless dark green, magical giant trees stand densely like the most loyal guards, blocking out most of the sky.

The forest is slowly but surely expanding into every corner of the training ground, aiming to completely transform this space into a kingdom of wood.

Qinghe's presence was both omnipresent and utterly absent.

Every sacred tree, every leaf, and even the rich wood spirit energy flowing through the space bears her soul imprint and radiates the fluctuations of her life.

It's as if countless eyes belonging to Qinghe are quietly watching you from all directions through layers of branches and leaves.

However, when you concentrate and try to pinpoint its true location, you will find that its aura is elusive and uncertain, like a mirage.

"Swish!"

The sound of the wind blowing through countless huge leaves, rising and falling like the tide, is not noisy, but rather peaceful and harmonious. This forest has its own rhythm, slowly and steadily rejecting, purifying, or assimilating anything that does not belong here.

Chen Fei stood still, without making any deliberate movements. The chaotic energy flowing naturally around him annihilated and devoured the nearby tree branches.

"This is definitely not the Green Wood Longevity Technique!"

"The entire training ground has almost turned into a forest. Where is Senior Sister Qinghe? Why can I feel her presence everywhere?"

"It seems that Senior Brother Chen Fei is trapped? Although he is not afraid of the attacks of these trees, he cannot find Senior Sister Qing He's true form. If this continues, it is hard to say what the outcome will be."

“Senior Sister Qinghe is stalling for time. Look, the more trees there are, the stronger the wood spirit aura they emit, and the stronger the power of the entire forest becomes. I feel that the longer this goes on, the more advantageous it will be for Senior Sister Qinghe.”

“That’s right. These trees may seem to be surrounding us but not attacking us, but they are actually accumulating power and changing the environment. Once the entire training ground becomes Senior Sister Qinghe’s domain, it will be difficult for Senior Brother Chen Fei to break through the stalemate.”

"I won't fight you head-on; I'll just wear you down in this way."

"What will Senior Brother Chen Fei do? Forcefully break through this forest? But the forest is so big, and Senior Sister Qinghe's true form is hidden in some tree. Destroying some trees is useless; she can spawn more at any time..."

Outside the arena, countless disciples gathered to discuss the matter.

In previous matches, Qinghe had demonstrated her ability to control the game and wear down opponents, but she had never used such tactics.

This sacred forest is not only vast in area, but also teeming with life and possesses the miraculous ability to conceal one's true form and confuse perception, making it an unsolvable battle fortress.

On the high platform, even Elder Qingxu, who had maintained a calm expression, showed a barely perceptible hint of surprise in his eyes.

An elder skilled in wood-based magic stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming. "This wood spirit aura carries the scent of ancient wilderness, its vitality containing a tenacity and aggression almost akin to the Dao itself... It's like..."

"It seems to have been fused with some kind of ancient spiritual root, or the inheritance mark of a wood-type god or demon?" another elder interjected, his tone uncertain.

At the summit of Wendao Peak, the only sound is the rustling of countless sacred tree branches rubbing against each other in the training ground.

Countless gazes were fixed on the green kingdom that had already transformed most of the martial arts arena into a wild jungle, and was still expanding outwards, as well as the figure in green robes who stood like a pillar of strength in the center of the jungle.

Qinghe's tactics were clear and effective. She didn't seek a quick victory, or even to injure the enemy; she only aimed to trap and wear them down. By utilizing this almost primordial wood-based Daoist technique, she created an environment favorable to her.

Every moment she delays, her advantage grows. And her opponent, if unable to find her true form quickly and break the core of this Myriad Wood Array, will be like a giant beast trapped in a swamp, the more it struggles, the deeper it sinks.

This would be an extremely difficult situation for any other opponent, even someone as defensively invincible as Xu Ziqian.

Because the core cannot be found, all attacks are futile and wasteful. Unless the speed at which the divine tree is destroyed exceeds the speed at which Qinghe condenses, Qinghe can rely on its near-integration with the forest to constantly move and hide its true form, making it almost invincible.

"Since it is difficult to discern with the naked eye and easily disturbed by the mind, let's try a different way of looking at it."

Deep within Chen Fei's eyes, a pure and radiant light, capable of reflecting all the truths and illusions of the world, was quietly illuminating.

The Immortal True Light Mirror!

An obscure and profound wave, centered on Chen Fei, silently spread out, gently stirring every fold of the surrounding space and sensing every subtle ripple of time flowing through this place.

A divine light shines, and time and space become the strings.

At that moment, Chen Fei sensed a subtle difference in the surrounding dark green forest that blotted out the sky.

Qinghe's true form is neither entirely ethereal nor evenly distributed among the myriad trees.

She used an extremely sophisticated wood-based divine power to entrust and conceal her true form and origin within the core divine tree. The other thousands of divine trees were merely extensions and manifestations of her original power, forming parts of her domain.

"Got you."

Chen Fei murmured to himself, then took a step forward.

Unlike his previous reckless and impulsive step, Chen Fei's figure became blurred and faint the moment he took the step, merging into the strange vision around him, which was imbued with spiritual light and the perception of space and time.

The dark green branches that tried to block and entwine him, though they had clearly touched the hem of Chen Fei's clothes, seemed to pass through a non-existent phantom and failed to pose any real obstacle to him.

Before Qinghe, who was hiding inside, could react, Chen Fei's right fist, carrying the will to tear through the void, slammed into the thick tree trunk.

"Buzz!"

Just as Chen Fei's fist was about to touch the tree trunk, the dark green divine tree, which had always looked no different from its surroundings, suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling light.

On the tree trunk, the dragon scale-like patterns suddenly lit up, moving as if they had come alive. Countless intricate and mysterious pale golden runes emerged and flowed from beneath the bark, forming a massive, ever-renewing protective shield that firmly protected the entire divine tree within.

Above the light shield, the faint shadows of countless trees swayed, connecting the endless vitality of the entire forest.

This is Qinghe's true defense, a core protection that combines its own origin, the inheritance of ancient spiritual roots, and the power of the entire Wood Domain.

"boom!"

A deafening roar, originating from the very foundations of the world, erupted suddenly.

The space was like shattered glass, covered with fine black cracks. The other divine trees within several miles were torn apart by the violent energy ripples before they could even react.

The seemingly indestructible, dazzling light shield only lasted for less than a breath before groaning in despair, its surface cracking with countless spiderweb-like fissures.

"boom!"

The light shield shattered, but Chen Fei's fist continued its momentum, slamming solidly into the tree trunk covered with mysterious patterns.

"Boom!"

A deafening roar of collapse echoed as the dark green divine tree, the core and eye of the entire forest, crumbled and shattered on a large scale, starting from the point of impact.

Countless pale golden wood chips and dark green fragments, mixed with an intensely concentrated wood spirit essence, burst forth in all directions like an erupting volcano.

As the divine tree collapsed and splinters flew everywhere, a slender figure enveloped in a rich emerald green light stumbled out from the core of the collapsed trunk—it was Qinghe.

The light green silk dress she wore now appeared slightly dim, her pretty face was a little pale, and there was even a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Clearly, the forced breach of her core defense had caused her considerable backlash.

Her usually gentle and smiling eyes were now filled with disbelief and shock. Qinghe hadn't expected that her true form would be found so easily.

"Roar!"

The vast, dark green forest roared silently, like an ancient beast that had been thoroughly enraged.

All the giant trees, regardless of distance, no longer probed or surrounded him slowly as before, but instead came frantically from all directions, entwining and piercing him with ear-piercing screams.

"Buzz!"

The layer of dark gray chaotic energy that had been constantly flowing around Chen Fei's body suddenly transformed into tangible gray flames, burning quietly around him.

The flames were not scorching, but no matter how wildly the divine trees lashed at the gray flames surrounding Chen Fei, they couldn't even create a ripple before turning into pure primordial energy and being absorbed by the gray flames.

The true form of Dao Xu is impervious to all laws!

It is not an absolute defense that is invincible, but rather it uses the Dao of Returning to the Void and Chaos to disintegrate, assimilate, and devour all incoming energy and material attacks at their most fundamental level.

Unless the level of the attack exceeds the limits of Chen Fei's Dao of Returning to Truth, or contains a higher level of rule power that is difficult to be dismantled by the power of Returning to Truth, all forms of energy attacks are merely supplements for Chen Fei.

Qinghe's attack, launched using the Wood Domain, was perfectly countered by Chen Fei's Dao Void True Body.

"Is this the true power of the Dao Ruins Returning to Truth Body? Invulnerable to all laws? How can we fight against this?"

"Senior Sister Qinghe's attack was already terrifying enough, yet it couldn't even break through Senior Brother Chen Fei's defense?"

Seeing this scene before her, Qinghe's already pale face drained of all color. She could feel how powerful her attack was, but when it landed on Chen Fei, it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, unable to even make him tremble.

This means that there is a huge gap between the two sides at the level of Tao.

No matter how powerful, how exquisite, or how mysterious her wood-based magic was, it was fundamentally suppressed and disintegrated in front of her opponent.

Just then, Chen Fei stepped out from the center of the energy turbulence and slowly raised his right hand.

This simple gesture of raising her hand made Qinghe feel a terrifying aura that could lock onto her soul and extinguish her life force, which had already firmly locked her in place.

Those trees in the distance, still attempting to attack the divine tree, were frozen in mid-air, as if gripped by an invisible hand, daring not to advance an inch further. The entire forest felt that deadly threat and let out a silent lament.

Time stood still at this moment.

Looking into Chen Fei's calm and unwavering eyes, Qinghe's last shred of hope and resentment quickly vanished.

When Chen Fei discovered his most crucial and secret hiding method, and even his all-out attack, combining the power of his domain and the ancient imprint, couldn't budge the opponent's defense in the slightest...

She knew she had lost. Completely and utterly, without a doubt.

What's the point of continuing to struggle if it only brings shame upon oneself and may even damage one's very foundation?

A hint of bitterness spread across Qinghe's gentle lips. She took a deep breath, suppressing her turbulent blood and complex emotions, and whispered:

"I... admit defeat!"

As Qinghe conceded defeat, the boundless dark green forest around her lost its last support and quickly became illusory and transparent, like a bubble, eventually turning into countless green light spots and dissipating into space.

Upon hearing this, Chen Fei slowly lowered his hand, which had been hovering in front of Qing He's forehead. The gray chaotic energy around him also quietly receded into his body.

Chen Fei bowed slightly to Qing He, whose face was pale, and said calmly, "Thank you for your consideration."

"Is it... over?"

"My God, Senior Sister Qinghe's terrifying Divine Tree Forest was actually destroyed just like that?"

"It's not just broken, it's been completely crushed from start to finish."

"Too strong, ridiculously strong, unreasonable strong."

"Three top-tier inheritances: Dao Ruins Returning to Truth Body for offense and defense, Eternal Void Time Array for perceiving space and time, and Undying True Suchness Spiritual Light Mirror for reflecting reality, discerning the origin, and stabilizing the mind... My God, how... how could there be any shortcomings?"

"This is indeed impossible to fight! Senior Brother Xu Ziqian's divine body defense is strong, but his attack and speed may not be able to match Senior Brother Chen Fei's."

"No wonder she dared to give Senior Sister Cao a chance; she really has the confidence to sweep everyone else aside."

Countless exclamations of amazement surged forth like boiling water.

The gazes of everyone looking at the calm figure in the blue robe in the center of the arena were no longer those of a peerless prodigy, but rather as if they were looking up at an insurmountable, majestic mountain.

"The Dao Ruins Return to Truth Body is the foundation, the Eternal Void Time Array Classic reveals the finest details, and the Undying True Suchness Spiritual Light reflects the origin... The three inheritances complement each other without any hindrance..."

An elder murmured, his voice filled with disbelief, "This child's talent and comprehension are truly extraordinary!"

In the waiting area, Cao Feiyu quietly loosened her tightly clenched hand, revealing a smile on her cool and aloof face.

On the other side, Xu Ziqian's usually calm and composed face was now filled with an unprecedented solemnity. (End of Chapter)