Strictly speaking, Xu Yi herself had not been here before; she had accompanied Liu Jinghong in a dream.
Xu Yi had always felt that Liu Jinghong was favored by the Heavenly Dao, possessing excellent talent and supreme luck. Every time she went out, she not only made many equally outstanding friends but also gained many unexpected opportunities.
This place was where Liu Jinghong had inadvertently passed by and happened upon a thousand-year-old tree demon that had achieved sentience and was undergoing its lightning tribulation. This thousand-year-old tree demon had absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon on Fire Wind Mountain, day after day, thus developing spiritual intelligence. Because the tree demon's nature was pure and gentle, it cultivated through the absorption of spiritual power, following a righteous and peaceful path. Furthermore, it had protected the living beings on Fire Wind Mountain for a thousand years, so its lightning tribulation was the least powerful, a triple lightning tribulation. As long as it survived the tribulation, it could successfully transform and attain its true form.
However, it encountered Liu Jinghong, and its path was thus interrupted. At that time, humans and demons were mortal enemies, and Liu Jinghong's act of intervening to kill a transforming demon was an understandable action. When the tree demon was about to survive the third layer of the lightning tribulation and its physical body was at its weakest, Liu Jinghong raised his hand and unleashed a sealed spiritual fire. The emerald-green flames instantly engulfed the tree demon. The tree demon was gravely injured and then died under the lightning tribulation. Liu Jinghong took the opportunity to sever the tree demon's main body at the waist, extract its heartwood, and absorb the tree demon's thousand years of spiritual energy. Later, Liu Jinghong gifted the heartwood to the Demon King of the demon tribe as a gesture of sincerity, which led to the subsequent negotiations.
Xu Yi shook her head in lamentation, thinking the tree demon was truly unlucky to have encountered Liu Jinghong at such a crucial moment. If it had undergone its tribulation a few days earlier or later, it would not have been run into by Liu Jinghong.
"Senior, so you were here!"
When Wang Yang, who had finished his morning lessons, went to Xu Yi's room, he found that Xu Yi had already left. He searched everywhere and finally found Xu Yi in front of the divine wood. He quickly walked over to Xu Yi's side and asked with a smile, "Senior is interested in the divine wood?"
"Oh? Why do you call it the divine wood?" Xu Yi's eyes flashed with curiosity as she asked. Two thousand years ago, this charred wood, even as a tree demon, could be called a divine tree. But it had already perished in the lightning tribulation and lost its spiritual essence. When the Fire Talisman Sect was founded, they did not remove this charred wood but left it here and called it the divine wood. Did they discover something strange?
"Senior, you may not know, but the founding ancestor of our Fire Talisman Sect originally came to Fire Wind Mountain for secluded cultivation. Then, when he broke through, he had a dream."
"A dream?" Xu Yi raised an eyebrow.
"That's right. In the dream, he received guidance from this divine wood and comprehended a trace of the origin of fire. After waking up, his cultivation indeed advanced, and he created the Fire Talisman that became famous across the Nine Continents. Later, the founding ancestor established the sect on Fire Wind Mountain and placed this divine wood in the center of the Fire Talisman Sect to protect it."
After Wang Yang finished his account, he shook his head and chuckled, "But later, this divine wood never showed any other unusual signs. Sometimes I even suspect if this is just a legendary story." Wang Yang, after learning the story of this divine wood, meditated and cultivated around it for a full year, hoping to receive guidance from the divine wood, but all his efforts were in vain. Later, he told this story to the newly initiated junior disciples, watching them flock to the divine wood like moths to a flame, and then one by one, they gave up in frustration. In the thousand-year heritage of the Fire Talisman Sect, only the founding ancestor had such an opportunity, which was why Wang Yang harbored doubts. But regardless, this divine wood existed before the sect was founded. The people of the Fire Talisman Sect never intended to move it, and they continued to treat it with the respect due to a divine wood.
"I see." Xu Yi nodded, not commenting on Wang Yang's story.
"Senior, shall I take you to see other parts of the Fire Talisman Sect? Although many places are vacant now, many interesting events once occurred here."
Xu Yi did not refuse. Just as she was about to leave under Wang Yang's guidance, she suddenly stopped. An irrepressible craving surged within her.
"Wang Yang." Xu Yi called out to Wang Yang.
When Wang Yang turned back, Xu Yi spoke, "May I touch this divine wood?"
Wang Yang was startled, then grinned, "Of course." Back then, he had almost slept hugging this divine wood, let alone touching it, so he completely understood Xu Yi's wish.
Xu Yi looked at the charred wooden pillar and, as if possessed, reached out and gently placed her hand on it. Golden specks of light began to flicker and swirl in her eyes. Her vision penetrated the outer bark of the charred wood, constantly seeping inward, and then she saw a scene so shocking that she could not describe it in words.
Xu Yi's gaze gradually became vacant, and a scorching aura suddenly erupted from her body. The surrounding temperature rapidly increased, and the air began to distort. Wang Yang was startled by the sudden change. As soon as he reacted, he quickly grabbed Xiao Yi and ran backward, simultaneously using the transmission disk to call for help.
Before the North and South martial uncles arrived, they saw a pillar of fire shooting up into the sky. The two were stunned and immediately urged their speed to the maximum, rushing to the divine wood. Then, they too were astonished by the scene before them.
Xu Yi was on fire. Literally on fire. Her figure was enveloped by a ball of flames, and the divine wood of their Fire Talisman Sect was also enveloped by the same flames.
"This, this..." Uncle Bei grabbed his beard, his hands and feet trembling.
"Wang Yang, what exactly happened just now!" Uncle Nan managed to maintain his composure and whispered to Wang Yang, afraid of disturbing Xu Yi.
Wang Yang looked pale and terrified. "She, no no no, Senior just asked if she could put her hand on the divine wood, and I said yes, and then it became like this."
"Just putting her hand on the divine wood?"
"Yes!" Wang Yang nodded, not forgetting to ask Xiao Yi to bear witness for him. Xiao Yi's eyes widened. "Brother Yang is right. Sister placed her hand on it, and after a while, it caught fire. Should we save her?"
The North and South martial uncles exchanged a look, their expressions somewhat dejected. With their vast experience, they naturally knew that Xu Yi had triggered the hidden opportunity within the divine wood, and perhaps she was now receiving guidance from the divine wood just like their ancestor. The two could not help but sigh in regret, wondering why such good fortune never fell upon anyone in their Fire Talisman Sect.
During this time, the other disciples also arrived one after another. They looked at Xu Yi in the flames with both envy and admiration.
"So the legend is true, the divine wood really manifests its spirit."
"Senior is indeed Senior, to be recognized by the divine wood!" Chi Xiaoxi's eyes were even brighter, and she felt happy for Xu Yi in her heart.
"Fellow Daoist Xu is meditating here; remember not to disturb her." After the North and South martial uncles set up defensive barriers around Xu Yi, they carefully instructed the disciples.
"Your disciples obey." The disciples of the Fire Talisman Sect all responded in unison, their faces showing no displeasure or jealousy that Xu Yi had obtained this opportunity. Afterward, they even developed a habit: after finishing their morning lessons, they would come here every day to check on Xu Yi's condition. This habit continued for half a month.