Chapter 614: Chapter 586 Yue Heng Wang

A faint wind blew, bringing with it the musk of decay.

Dry leaves rustled, with an occasional few fluttering down from the treetops, disappearing before they even touched the ground.

Li Fan clearly saw the faces on the leaves flickering by, twisted in pain.

In the usual course of things, anyone who saw such a strange scene would feel their hearts pound.

But in the eyes of Li Fan at this moment, the place called “Boiling Lifespan” was inexplicably wonderful.

He took a deep breath, the putrid air made sweeter as it filled his lungs.

He greedily took a few more breaths.

Looking at the cultivators dangling from the tree, he noticed that their eyes were all shrouded in darkness, their pupils unseeable, and their faces twisted in eerie grins.

Their hair was entwined with the tree branches, like ropes suspending them.

Some of the cultivators still had intact clothes.

While others appeared to have been hanging there for some time, their clothes already degraded and rotted.

Some decaying boughs coiled around their bodies, concealing their bare skin and piercing deep into their flesh.

“Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!”

Without needing the Wood Taoist to introduce, the moment Li Fan entered the “Boiling Lifespan”, he already understood everything about this place.

Facing this chilling sight, Li Fan not only didn’t feel terrified but applauded with admiration.

There was even a hint of envy in his tone.

As if all the cultivators in the world should naturally be hung from branches.

And the privilege of having one’s flesh pierced by this withered tree was unimaginable!

“So, Daoist friend, did I not lie to you?” The Wood Taoist seemed to grow weaker, coughing for awhile before regaining his breath and asking.

“Indeed, your words are truthful!” Li Fan nodded in agreement.

“What a marvelous creation! How should I address this tree?” He stared intently at the Giant Wither Tree, his eyes filled with obsession.

“It was originally called [Ruo Mu], but now…” The Wood Taoist also looked up, his expression inscrutable.

“It’s called ‘Perpetual Eternal Wall’.”

It was an incredibly awkward phrase but when the Wood Taoist spoke it, Li Fan immediately understood its meaning.

“From the moment of creation, it has appeared and will continue to exist forever. Standing over the River of Life, like a wall supporting the sky.”

“No, I prefer its original name,” Li Fan shook his head.

The Wood Taoist chuckled, unperturbed, “A name is merely a label. As time passes and generations of Living Beings change, so too does its name.”

“But it hasn’t any effect on its existence.”

For some reason, a hint of gloominess passed through the Wood Taoist’s eyes as he said this.

But Li Fan agreed, “Indeed, as the saying goes, ‘times have changed’.”

Every moment he spent here, many scenes involuntarily infiltrated Li Fan’s Spirit Consciousness.

Hence, Li Fan naturally gained lots of relevant information.

With a look of reminiscence, he recited, “Heaven and Earth Procreate Spirit, Ruo Mu shaves off its lifespan. The Fruit of Lifespan Harvest, consuming it bestows longevity.”

Upon hearing Li Fan’s verse, the Wood Taoist’s murky eyes swiveled, gleaming.

After a long silence, the two resumed their conversations.

“Daoist friend, indeed you are a man of great wisdom!” The Wood Taoist suddenly sighed deeply.

“Thousands of cultivators have come here to visit, but someone like you, whose mind shifts so swiftly, is truly rare.”

Li Fan’s eyes narrowed as he replied, “It’s not that I’m wise, but they’re simply foolish.”

“How are the cultivators here fundamentally different from other creatures?”

“Trees bear fruits, flowers produce nectar. Beasts give birth, birds lay eggs.”

“People consume these things, and it is considered natural. However, when they themselves become the prey, why can’t they accept it?”

“Do they truly believe themselves to be Spirits of Heaven and Earth, masters of all things?” Li Fan scoffed.

The words that Decaying Wood Taoist had prepared beforehand were unexpectedly spoken first by the opponent, leaving him momentarily speechless.

“In my opinion, it’s only a matter of the survival of the fittest.”

“If I’m devouring things now and enjoy it, then if someday I’m the one being devoured, I shouldn’t complain. The Heavenly Dao is fair and delivers retribution quickly!”

Li Fan shook his head, utterly engrossed in his statement.

Decaying Wood Taoist watched Li Fan for a while before he finally understood.

“So it’s not a change in belief, but rather something he always thought.”

“What a pity, what a pity!”

Decaying Wood Taoist shook his head gently.

Li Fan, however, seemed to ignore his words as if he hadn’t heard what the old man had said at all.

He was still gazing at the withered Ruo Mu in front of him, as though there was something within it that deeply fascinates him.

“Unusual individuals like this one… have actually been born among cultivators…” Decaying Wood Taoist frowned slightly, seeming to be in thought.

“Cough, Cough…”

Suddenly, he coughed violently, with a hint of green blood visible at the corners of his mouth.

At the sight of this, the above Ruo Mu swayed without wind, and countless dried leaves fell.

“Good death, good death!”

Upon seeing a certain scene, a trace of ferocity flashed across Decaying Wood Taoist’s face.

He then burst into wild laughter: “Indeed, the Heavenly Dao is fair, and vicious people will grind each other!”

“Having this child here is pointless anyway, might as well send him back to wreak havoc!”

“All of this is justice!”

…

After indulging in insanity for a while, Decaying Wood Taoist gradually regained his calm.

He once again appeared as he did when he first met Li Fan in the external world.

“Dao Friend, now that you have seen our product quality for yourself, you must also understand where we stand.”

“The transaction we previously agreed upon can continue now, right?” he asked with a strange smile.

“Transaction?” Li Fan turned his head in confusion.

“Oh, that matter! No rush!” He gestured with his hand, surprisingly refusing the proposal.

“Hehe…”

Decaying Wood Taoist once again let out a distasteful laugh, “This place may be good, but it’s not where you should be.”

“I think the Xuanhuang world outside suits you better.”

Just as Li Fan was about to object, Decaying Wood Taoist grabbed his shoulder.

Grey Mist began to emerge from underneath his feet, preparing to envelop him once again.

“Dao Friend, why are you in such a rush to send me away?” Li Fan asked anxiously.

Decaying Wood merely chuckled, not responding.

“You want the Gold Core, right? If I’m going to be generous, I might as well do it til the end. This time, I’ll give you some for free!”

As the Grey Mist completely blurred his vision, Li Fan faintly heard Decaying Wood Taoist say something in his ear.

Li Fan’s sight blurred, and he stumbled back into the Debating Tower Courtyard of the Sky-spirit State.

Decaying Wood Taoist, “Perpetual Eternal Wall”, and the numerous cultivators hanging from the tree branches all disappeared instantly.

All of it seemed like nothing more than an illusion of Li Fan’s.

Only an emaciated, withered branch quietly laid on the table, seeming to verify something.

Without the influence of Ruo Mu, Li Fan’s thoughts had returned to normal.

Recalling his past experience, he felt like he was dropped into a frozen winter.

However, fearing that Decaying Wood Taoist might still be watching him from the side, he managed to suppress his fear and maintain his composure.