A pavilion sat on the edge of the gushing stream, beside it was a small bridge that was built across the flowing waters.
Chu Feng stood there admiring the views. It was as if an immortal painting had come to life, and the clear and fragrant air was able to clear one’s heart of its troubles. It was truly a suitable place for mental cultivation.
He walked through this lush and vibrant back mountain and arrived at a holy land that was brimming with vitality.
Mount Pan was definitely not an ordinary place. The old weasel severing two chains and learning the Imperial Sword Technique while cultivating here was proof of its marvels.
"Mutant Trees!"
Chu Feng saw some small trees taking root within a fenced compound which appeared to be the most important area on Mount Pan. Growing within the compound were mysterious vegetation that could promote evolution.
One, two…
Chu Feng was pleasantly surprised to find that there were five of those small mutant trees along with over 50 blades of mutant grass, dripping with sparkling dew.
"Could this be the spirit essence nurtured by a famed mountain?"
He sighed emotionally. It required extraordinary luck to find even one or two of such mutant flora in the outside world, yet here there was a whole patch of them. This was like a priceless immortal herb garden!
For normal people, this could really be called an immortal herb garden because the fruits produced here could let them achieve mutation within a short time.
Those small trees were all 0.6 to 1 meters tall, displaying various vibrant colors. Among them, one was quite special—it was close to two meters tall, completely red as if it was made from agate. This one could be considered a relatively big tree.
Chu Feng guessed that the old weasel severing two shackles had something to do with this particular tree. The others were not that particularly special.
It was a pity that none of these trees had any fruits; they must've been picked clean already.
Chu Feng understood that with one beast king, two quasi beast kings and hundreds of mutant beasts under its banner, Mount Pan would hardly be able to accumulate any mutant fruits—the demand was just too high.
The tens of mutant grass, however, were in the process of budding, releasing a soothing fragrance into the vicinity. Chu Feng knelt down and tried activating his special breathing technique.
But within just a few moments, he was disappointed. This level of pollen had almost no effect on him at all.
Actually, it was expected that after becoming a beast king, most normal fruits and pollen would have little to no effect on him.
He speculated that in this herb garden, only the bright red two-meter tall tree would have any effect on him. However, that tree was empty at the time. He would have to wait at least till next year.
This was the advantage afforded by a famed mountain; all the flora would regrow after a year, budding and bearing fruits.
This was also the reason why those major corporate powers were willing to pay any price, any amount of blood and corpses, to gain ownership of a famed mountain. Such a place would be able to serve as a stable foothold.
As long as one was in control of a famed mountain, it was guaranteed that their agents would be able to continuously evolve. Down the road, it would develop into an unbreakable inheritance.
"Where is that underground palace?" Chu Feng searched the area as he was already informed. From Huang Xiaoxian’s confessions, the site of inheritance was somewhere in the back mountain.
However, even after searching everywhere, he wasn’t able to find the slightest clue. There wasn’t even a shadow of this so called underground palace.
Unexpectedly, raising his head and gazing into the distance, he found that one of the distant mountains was enshrouded in mist and a certain towering entity was faintly discernible within.
Chu Feng was fearless. He had even killed a beast king with two severed shackles, so there was really no need to hesitate. He walked towards the area in large strides.
"A giant tree?!"
He was shaken as he saw, within the rolling mist, a majestic tree. Its roots were planted at the base of the mountain, while its crown pierced towards the sky.
The tree was at least 800 meters tall with abundant branches and vibrant leaves, incomparably lush. Its leaves were like jade, glistening lustrously.
The most important fact was that the earth was cracked at the location where its roots pierced the earth. The presence of an underground palace was evident.
Chu Feng was overjoyed; he had finally found it.
However, that ancient tree was just too big. It felt that something was off with where and how it was situated, and a feeling of danger could be sensed from it.
Chu Feng was certain that his senses were not wrong. There was definitely a strand of willpower hidden within this ancient tree.
During his time at the Hollow Jade Temple, he had come to understand how the armies of every nation had used colossal firepower to clear out the great trees and giant vines that covered the sky.
"I come only to enter this underground palace. I have no other evil intention," Chu Feng stated, not caring whether he was being understood.
Solemn and silent, there were no changes in the gigantic tree.
As Chu Feng walked forward and approached the underground palace, he felt his body brace itself reflexively. He immediately looked up to find that the whole tree was moving, its branches shaking vigorously.
Following that, a certain fruit dropped down towards Chu Feng, releasing a blinding light.
"Chestnut tree?!"
Chu Feng was surprised since he had not noticed it before. This 800-meter tall giant with thriving branches and verdant leaves was hiding fruits behind its leaves, only revealing them at the critical moment.
"What kind of situation is this?"
Chu Feng retreated at an extreme speed; that fruit was not your everyday chestnut since it was covered in spikes.
Chestnuts were popular as food, but such a chestnut with spiked shells was never seen before. They were as sharp as needles and could easily pierce through skin and flesh.
The descending fruits were extremely large, and every one of them was nine meters long, completely golden yellow in color as if a great hedgehog had come crashing down.
Boom!
It exploded mid-air with a huge boom, shooting out a dense torrent of golden spikes at extreme speeds. These spikes crossed the distance in the blink of an eye, approaching Chu Feng at a rapid pace.
Chu Feng retreated at supersonic speeds. To his surprise, he found that the golden spikes were over half a meter long and some were even a meter long. They also exceeded the speed of sound, breaking through the sound barrier like a rain of short spears.
Swoosh! Swoosh...
The incoming "short spears" produced dense whizzing sounds.
Chu Feng retreated safely, avoiding the downpour of golden short spears. The golden spikes carried tremendous force with them, easily piercing through rocks that were several meters tall, boring holes everywhere.
The destructive power was immense.
There was no way for a normal mutant beast to survive after being nailed by this needle storm.
After the fruit ejected its needles and collapsed, the actual chestnut within was revealed. They dropped to the ground where Chu Feng had previously stood, each the size of a bed.
Boom!
A huge explosion rang out, cracking the earth and throwing huge rocks and debris into the air.
Each chestnut packed overwhelming destructive power comparable to a bomb.
Chu Feng stood in the distance, flabbergasted at the carnage. Was this thing still a harmless looking chestnut tree? He couldn’t believe his eyes.
In total, five fruits had fallen, filling the sky with yellow short spears and exploding on the ground upon impact!
He snapped back to reality only after a moment. How could the great change have brought into existence such an evil tree?
"I don’t care what you are. If you block my path, then don’t blame me for being impolite when I snap off all your roots!" Chu Feng threatened.
He had decided to enter this underground palace and obtain that inheritance no matter what. The opportunity to learn the Imperial Sword Technique could not be missed as it had the potential to raise his combat strength by a huge margin.
Chu Feng’s body started glowing, especially his right arm which had undergone a severing. The resultant silvery energy suffused his body, spreading across his body.
It was even more evident when he used the special breathing technique, which immediately let his majestic king level energy run through his physical body.
However, when he approached the ancient tree once again, he was met with the same counterattack. The leaves shook and rustled, dropping over ten fruits this time.
In a flash, the whole place was once again filled with a downpour of screeching spikes. Even a quasi beast king would not be able to block this terrifying attack.
The spikes were simply too sturdy and hard, nothing could stand in their way as they screamed through the air at supersonic speeds, giving one a sense of dread and trepidation.
Chu Feng was thoroughly incensed. Even after killing a beast king, there was still a gigantic tree that wanted to pick a fight with him. He forewent all restraint and exhibited his full power—the Demon Ox Boxing Style in combination with the godlike powers of his right arm.
Mou!
A loud roar of a primordial yak resounded as a gigantic beam of silvery light flew out, disintegrating all the short spears mid-flight.
Chu Feng had made his move. He leaped through the air as if he had the ability to fly, every stride taking him two to three hundred meters where he would land briefly before kicking off again.
"What?! The old weasel is dead?" The chestnut tree emitted a wave of hazy consciousness, appearing to be in shock.
After that, the earth rumbled loudly as the roots were pulled out of the ground. The tree slide across the surface of the earth, moving rapidly towards the depths of the mountain.
Chu Feng was stunned; he had already dashed to the location of the underground palace, but the old tree had escaped. It could actually uproot itself and escape, sliding along the mountainous path.
Chu Feng ignored the tree and immediately dashed into the underground palace. The Imperial Sword Technique took priority; he had to study this technique to further his strength.
Very soon, he frowned. The underground palace was rather small and simple. There was a huge stone bed, a stone table, some chairs and a prayer mat made of stone. However, there were no engravings of any sort nor were there signs of a technique manual.
Swoosh!
At this moment, Chu Feng had rushed out of the underground palace at full speed. He was in pursuit of the ancient chestnut tree at supersonic speeds. He stepped onto the mountainous peaks and gigantic rocks, and passed through diverse vegetations.
"Human, you still want to hunt me down? I’ll fight you to the death!"
The 800-meter tall chestnut tree was gliding along in huge strides, leaving massive prints on the ground with no way to cover his tracks.
He roared and dropped an even more powerful fruit this time. A single nearly transparent fruit was thrown down, reaching sonic speeds as it descended.
After exploding, a terrifying scene ensued.
Chu Feng did not dare to rush in without knowing the opponent’s ability. He made a sharp turn and leaped towards a different area with the greatest speed he could reach.
Boom!
It was a horrible sight. After the translucent chestnut burst open, thousands of crystalline short spears flew out, piercing everything in sight and carving beehives out of them.
This caused Chu Feng to gasp. He speculated that even if the old weasel were to go head on against this attack, he would also be penetrated.
At the same time, the interior of this chestnut fell to the ground, causing a giant explosion.
Chu Feng felt his hair stand on end. The two hills in the vicinity had disappeared—they were blasted into oblivion by this chestnut bomb.
However, he was not one to be frightened by a mere chestnut tree. He shouted, "Even with such powerful moves, you are not my rival. If I put in some effort, I can still kill you all the same!"
"I did not provoke you, yet if you wish to battle, then come!" the old chestnut tree thus spoke. It was feeling less confident than before because there weren’t many of those crystalline chestnuts. The most depressing fact was that he could not hit this human with his abilities.
"Where is the inheritance from the underground palace, did you take it along with you?" Chu Feng asked.
The chestnut tree exclaimed, "The inheritance is with you!"
"Nonsense, if it was on me, would I have come to the underground palace?" Chu Feng stared at him.
"I’ve seen the Mount Pan ancestor press the scarlet flying knife against his forehead in an attempt to comprehend the inheritance. There is a spiritual brand within it. If I guessed correctly, then the so called inheritance should be within it," informed the ancient tree.
Chu Feng retrieved his flying knife and swiftly probed it with his psychic powers. He immediately withdrew his powers in shock because he sensed a very extraordinary and dangerous psychic energy within.
He now believed the tree. Looking at it, Chu Feng said, "If that is so, then you don’t need to run anymore. Go back and help me look after the mountain."
"I refuse!" The old chestnut tree was extremely afraid. He turned and fled as soon as he finished his sentence.
"I won’t make it difficult for you." Chu Feng chased after him.
"I’ll think about it after you leave, don’t come after me, or else I’ll fight it out with you." The old tree was frantic.
Finally, Chu Feng decided to turn back, no longer trying to force him. He felt it was truly miraculous that even a chestnut tree could have such sentience and fierce battle power, capable of shooting spears and bombs.
Chu Feng returned to the back mountain and buried his seed box within the soil of the medicinal garden. There was two-colored soil within the garden, glistening and radiant.
He wanted to see if he could nourish his seed here.
Afterwards, he sat down cross-legged and retrieved his scarlet flying knife. He then pressed it against his forehead.
Boom!
Chu Feng let out a muffled groan as his body became unstable and his vision dimmed, almost passing out. This was the result of an attack by the spiritual brand within the knife.
This alarmed Chu Feng. This brand was too strong. It was as if an immortal sword had descended to sever his consciousness, grinding down his psychic powers.
He was certain that, even if it was a king level expert, if one did not have sufficient psychic powers, they would succumb to this spiritual assault.
Very quickly, some extremely archaic depictions came into view—this was the Imperial Sword Technique!