Chapter 951: Chapter 53: Extracting the Heavenly Spirit Pearl, Explosive Soil Growth, and the Heavenly Soul Tree!
"With the grade of the divine tree, once it’s exposed and takes root in barren soil, its life will quickly head toward death."
"Even if by chance it’s a blessed land, suddenly entering an unfamiliar environment is not beneficial for future transference and transplantation."
"Such an incident occurred during the Grand Ancestor period."
Zhao Xing listened quietly to Liu Tianning’s storytelling.
"It was during the late stage of the war among myriad nations when a deputy dean of the Divine Wood Institute, summoned by the Grand Ancestor, was ambushed by a mysterious strongman on the way."
"A treasure-level divine tree, the ’Dragon Elephant Divine Tree’ within him, was seized by someone."
"Rumor has it that the Great Snake God of Yinghuang did it, while others say it was seized by the Southern Desolate Heavenly Witch ’Anzu’. "
Zhao Xing was taken aback: "Dragon Elephant Divine Tree?"
Liu Tianning: "It seems you’ve heard of it."
Zhao Xing nodded: "Yes, I saw it in the confidential files from King Heavenly Destiny."
"It’s rumored that the Dragon Elephant Divine Tree can bear two types of fruits, the Elephant God Fruit and the Dragon God Fruit."
"Consuming them grants one the ancient dragon elephant power."
Liu Tianning nodded: "Indeed, this tree also involves an ultimate secret technique, the Dragon Elephant Golden Body. A martial artist consuming it can cultivate the legendary Dragon Elephant Golden Body."
"Back then, Ji Shi, who was known as the Martial God, successfully cultivated the Dragon Elephant Golden Body, which was also known as the Martial God Golden Body."
"The Grand Ancestor summoned the Divine Wood Institute’s dean to cultivate a few more Dragon Elephant Warriors."
"Unfortunately, an accident occurred."
Martial God Ji Shi, known as Duke Zhao.
Zhao Xing was familiar with this history because, in a past life, the Dragon Elephant Divine Tree appeared as an event in the East Wasteland during the Emperor Wu period.
At that time, many top-level players received a quest to escort the Minister of Agriculture’s cadre into the royal family’s forbidden land in the Great Snake Country of East Wasteland to complete transplantation.
Zhao Xing was invited by a large guild to join a top team, but they ultimately failed the quest, and the Dragon Elephant Divine Tree was taken by another top team.
"Back then, they shouldn’t have split the push, that idiot with the Overlord’s Slash..." Zhao Xing felt relaxed chatting with Lao Liu and swore without realizing it.
"What did you say?" Liu Tianning frowned.
"Oh, a martial artist I know came to mind, his skills were too lousy."
"If the team escorting the divine wood had been stronger then, it wouldn’t have been snatched away." Zhao Xing covered up.
"Is there an issue with your cultivation?" Liu Tianning seemed to think of something, also worried that Zhao Xing might go mad.
"I’m fine," Zhao Xing said, "no loss of control for now, teacher, please continue."
Liu Tianning said: "Various incidents happened in history, so the inheritors from the Divine Wood Institute almost don’t venture out anymore."
"Secondly, the cultivation and inheritance of the divine wood cannot be separated from some special places."
Zhao Xing nodded.
The majority of the Self Sect’s Ministers of Agriculture, after planting that tree, dedicate all their essence, qi, and spirit to nurturing that tree.
They mostly have no combat power left.
It’s best not to go anywhere, staying at the Shangluo Academy headquarters is the safest.
Moreover, the divine tree cannot rely entirely on the Minister of Agriculture’s Pure Essence Soil for nourishment, such treasures of the world and rare treasures need more than one person to blossom and bear fruit.
They basically need to be planted in a blessed land or nurtured with a large concentration of primordial energy.
The highest level Ksitigarbha Returning Origin Array in the world, although arranged by the Earth Advantage Sect Minister of Agriculture, is not located at Kunyuan Academy, but at Shangluo Academy.
Afterward, Liu Tianning introduced the secrets and legends of other institutes.
Many things were unfamiliar to Zhao Xing, as he wasn’t powerful in this time period in a past life and couldn’t access the Self Sect’s top secrets, only piecing together the situation later.
"Hearing teacher’s explanation, I’m enlightened," Zhao Xing said, "No wonder back at the Extreme Night Sea, several sons of Prince Liang wanted to win over the teacher, even though the teacher had killed their vassals."
Later, Zhao Xing cursed Prince Liang on the battlefield without incident, even Ji Ye tried to mediate, but after enduring Zhao Xing’s continuous cursing for a year or two and constantly uncovering Prince Liang’s party’s scandals, they finally tore up the truce, forcing Zhao Xing to leave the Ten Suns Cave Heaven.
If Prince Liang could win over any of the three sects, he wouldn’t have fallen so quickly. If all three supported him, he might have had a real chance of success.
But that’s impossible; Prince Liang’s actions were contrary to the Minister of Agriculture’s ideology and purpose.
"Which of the seven institutes is the teacher in charge of?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Formerly just a deputy dean of Shuangsheng Institute," Liu Tianning said, "now competing for the deputy dean of Shangluo Academy, and aiming for the first succession rank."
Zhao Xing nodded, realizing a dean oversees while an institute head is more specific, representing different meanings.
"The remaining resistance to the teacher seems mainly from the Military Envoy Academy and the Divine Wood Institute."
"Pretty much," Liu Tianning said, "truthfully, no one can stop me anymore."
"But to let them see more clearly, when I’m giving orders, merely placating and a few perfunctory words won’t suffice."
"What I want is total control."
"There are still stubborn ones not willing to understand when fundamental interests are involved."
Liu Tianning said flatly: "If they outwardly agree but inwardly disagree, how can it work? Some things mustn’t be compromised from the start, otherwise, it’ll be a mess afterward."
Zhao Xing understood what Lao Liu meant.
He’s going to become this deputy dean, first in line, with about 80-90% support now.
Before, whether showcasing personal power in the dojo or demonstrating overall strategy during the Ping Man War, as well as origin and connections, all had been tested.