Chapter Forty-Nine: The Mysterious Tree

First Stage of the Human Martial Realm!

An unexpected breakthrough—so utterly unforeseen!

Qin Feng could hardly believe that, in such peculiar circumstances, he had broken through. And not just any step, but the most pivotal leap for a cultivator, achieved as smoothly as flowing water. Even now, he found it almost impossible to accept.

Yet the overwhelming surge of power coursing through his body was undeniably real. Moreover, his soul sense had transformed, allowing him to gaze inward. With spiritual consciousness awakened, his “Tai’a Soul Tempering” technique had advanced effortlessly to its second layer.

Now, with a single thought, Qin Feng could peer into his own body, discerning the condition of every bone, muscle, meridian—even the flow and transformation of profound energy—all with crystal clarity.

Most crucial of all, his spiritual consciousness had emerged, and his Sea of Qi had formed. The Sea of Spiritual Consciousness is the very origin of the soul, the wellspring where awareness is born.

When his consciousness spread outward, the circumstances within several miles fell entirely under his command, as if he witnessed them with his own eyes, vivid and true. When his consciousness withdrew, it entered the Sea of Spiritual Consciousness, that vast expanse where the soul resides.

Curious, Qin Feng, for the first time, guided his consciousness into his own Sea of Spiritual Consciousness, observing inwardly.

What he saw startled him beyond measure!

Within his Sea of Spiritual Consciousness, a tree grew.

No mistake—his vision was clear.

A tree, and not just any tree, but one of a mysterious purple-gray hue, rooted firmly in the clouds of his soul, thriving robustly.

Qin Feng scrutinized this enigmatic tree, and suddenly—

His gaze contracted, settling on an object among the branches.

“A snake?”

There, coiled on the branch, was indeed a snake.

Black, double-headed, with barbed whiskers. One head bore a purple-gray vertical mark on its forehead; the other, none. Its body was faint, like a shadow rather than substance.

“This…?”

Qin Feng had long suffered from a strange illness, and he knew that within his soul lurked a mysterious presence. Yet he had never imagined it would manifest as a growing tree!

---

“The tree is the source of my ailment. But what of the little black snake?”

Contemplating the possibilities, Qin Feng withdrew from his Sea of Spiritual Consciousness and released his bloodline soul.

The sight shocked him anew.

His little black snake was no longer little. It had grown thick as a barrel, nearly ten feet long. Its massive black scales glimmered coldly, its vast body twisting with fierce power. It was now best described as a giant black python. The most notable change: it had two heads, one with a purple-gray vertical mark, the other unadorned.

So that's it!

Even a fool could now discern some truth.

His bloodline soul was the very snake that coiled upon the mysterious purple tree in his soul.

But why?

Recalling the awakening of his spirit and the subsequent changes in its color, Qin Feng’s eyes suddenly shone, and he exclaimed, “Assimilation and Mutation!”

Ingenious—truly ingenious!

In order to survive, one must assimilate, adopt the opponent’s aura, so that the mysterious presence within ignores you. This must have been the desperate solution his awakened spirit devised to save itself.

An exchange: formidable power traded for evolutionary potential.

And in the end, the benefit was his own! The bloodline soul, after all, was the source of his bodily strength. Once assimilated, the mysterious tree would mistake the black snake as part of itself, resolving all his cultivation woes.

The enigmatic tree would no longer attack his bloodline power, and the blockage of his meridians would cease.

The root of his cultivation troubles was now resolved!

Exhilaration! At this moment, Qin Feng longed to shout and vent his joy.

Yet—

Staring at the double-headed giant python, he was speechless. What would this evolution eventually produce? A black dragon? Multiple heads? He had no answer.

While he pondered, Qin Feng’s brow twitched and his gaze snapped toward the distant east.

He tossed out two orbs of flame, reducing the two hanging corpses to ash. Then, with a thought, the giant python turned, its main head with the gray mark opened wide, swallowed Qin Feng whole, and in a twist, launched itself onto a tall tree. After a few coils, it vanished into the darkness.

---

Qin Feng had barely left when two beams of white light streaked in and halted, revealing two figures clad in snowy attire.

A man and a woman, both powerful cultivators, their presence ethereal. Standing atop flying swords, gazing down from above, their pure white garments gleaming in the night, they seemed like celestial beings descended to earth, inspiring awe.

The night was deep, moonlight scarce between the trees, and these mysterious visitors were cautious, sweeping the area with their spiritual senses. The man in white spoke: “There was a battle here. I sense a strong demonic aura lingering. Seems someone from the demonic path has infiltrated. We must be careful…”

“Mm,” the woman beside him nodded, searching the area once more. Finding nothing substantial, her face showed urgency as she urged, “Senior brother, if we delay any longer, we’ll miss the appointed rendezvous with the others.”

“Alright… let’s go.”

Yet the man stared thoughtfully into the darkness, hesitation gleaming in his eyes. Only at his junior’s insistence did he finally withdraw his gaze. With a flash of sword light beneath their feet, both sped away toward the southwest.

After they departed, Qin Feng emerged from the shadows. Watching their retreating figures, his gaze was deep.

The man in white was formidable!

Qin Feng sensed that the man must have vaguely detected his presence, though he could not guess why he hadn’t acted against him.

“A scheduled rendezvous? What pressing matter drives such urgency?”

“Those two deaths earlier—are they connected?”

A cascade of questions flooded Qin Feng’s mind, but none yielded answers. Curiosity is universal, and Qin Feng was no exception, though he was wise enough to know its dangers.

Had he not broken through today, he would have chosen to remain hidden, or perhaps left entirely.

But today, he had advanced!

The immense power now flowing through him emboldened him. Moreover, judging by their attire and aura, those two were surely disciples of a reputable sect.

“Fortune favors the bold—let’s do this!”

Having made up his mind, Qin Feng darted through the forest, pursuing the direction in which they had disappeared.

…