Chapter 42
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Chapter 42: Little Tree King! Divine Sound
The habitat of the Golden Ape Clan was a separate yard within the Howling Wolf Palace courtyard. All the facilities here had been crafted by the golden apes themselves, consisting primarily of various rock formations, as well as an abundance of flowers, grasses, and trees.
As magical beasts, they greatly preferred this forest-like environment.
Now, the number of golden apes had increased significantly compared to before, largely because the Vast Forest housed an astonishing number of them. Ever since the Golden Ape King had consumed numerous Blood Spirit Flowers and undergone Bloodline Evolution, his intelligence had improved greatly, allowing him to attract more of his kind.
If one day the Golden Ape King called upon his friends and gathered thousands of golden apes, Zhang Yang wouldn’t be surprised at all.
The Golden Ape King led Zhang Yang to a small tree surrounded by a rock formation.
The tree stood only about five meters tall.
Its branches and leaves were not particularly lush—at best, its foliage was exceptionally green. The trunk was straight without a hint of curvature, and it radiated an incredibly strong life force.
Zhang Yang crossed his arms, observing the small tree with curiosity.
The Night Stalker had followed along, being the one closest to the golden apes.
“Is there something special about it?” the Night Stalker asked.
Zhang Yang replied, “I can’t say for sure, but I have a feeling this tree is extraordinary.” He then turned to the Golden Ape King and said, “Why don’t you give your four Wood True Spirits to the small tree?”
Without hesitation, the Golden Ape King tossed the four Wood True Spirits toward the tree.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Four branches suddenly shot out, wrapping around the Wood True Spirits and immediately absorbing and refining them.
Both Zhang Yang and the Night Stalker were taken aback.
This small tree was actually a magical tree!
The effects of the Wood True Spirits were astonishing. As the small tree absorbed them, it somehow began drawing in green essence from the countless ancient Sycamore Trees surrounding it, merging the energy into itself.
This unexpected phenomenon quickly attracted attention from all over Howling Wolf Palace, as many cultivators turned their gazes toward the scene.
Zhang Yang climbed to the highest point of the Howling Wolf Imperial Palace, scanning his surroundings with keen eyes.
Everywhere Zhang Yang looked, ancient Sycamore Trees were releasing a brilliant green essence.
Li Kunhai quickly contacted informants scattered throughout the Vast Forest. Their reports confirmed that every ancient Sycamore Tree they had encountered was doing the same.
“This small tree seems to be able to communicate with all the ancient Sycamore Trees in the Vast Forest,” said Grand Elder Lang Yaozu.
Curiosity filled the air as everyone gathered around.
The Golden Ape King watched excitedly, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
After a full minute, the green light from all the ancient Sycamore Trees gradually faded.
The small tree itself appeared unchanged, but its life force had surged to such a powerful level that everyone present felt insignificant before it.
It almost seemed as if the tree had developed a heartbeat.
“Roar~~”
The Golden Ape King let out a low growl toward the small tree.
Suddenly, a green beam shot out from within the tree, striking directly at the Golden Ape King’s throat.
The speed was too fast and sudden for anyone to react. Even Zhang Yang only managed to lift his hand instinctively, unable to stop it.
"Are you ready? You… ah!!!"
The one who had spoken was none other than the Golden Ape King.
Everyone turned to look at him in shock before shifting their gaze back to the small tree.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the Golden Ape King suddenly burst into a joyous roar.
“I can talk now! I can talk now!”
A wave of excited howls erupted from the golden apes.
For a magical beast to speak in human language, it typically required reaching the Great Boundless rank.
Then, a clear and melodious voice—one belonging to a young girl—rang out.
“What’s the big deal? Once I become a saint, I’ll let you transform into a human.”
Everyone turned their attention to the small tree in astonishment. A faint image of a young girl’s face had appeared within its trunk.
“Really?!” The Golden Ape King asked excitedly.
The little girl’s face on the tree pouted in displeasure and huffed. “Do you still doubt me? I am the Tree King of the Vast Forest, inherently at the Great Boundless rank’s peak. Becoming a saint is only a matter of time. Moreover, I command a billion ancient Sycamore Trees in the Vast Forest—there are no secrets beyond my reach. If I wish, I can uncover any mystery.”
She then smirked. “Helping a magical beast transform into a human? That’s easy.”
The Golden Ape King was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
Not wanting to be left out, the Ironback Blue Bull hurried over, mooing eagerly, hoping to gain the ability to speak as well.
However, the Tree King yawned lazily and said, “Next time. I’m too tired now; I need to sleep for a bit.”
“Don’t sleep! When you sleep, it’s for hundreds of years!” the Golden Ape King shouted as he pounced toward her.
Still drowsy, the Tree King mumbled, “No, no… I’m already awake. I won’t sleep too long. When I sleep, it’s actually training. It’s fine, don’t wake me… so tired… sleeping now… sleeping…”
Then, there was nothing but silence.
Everyone stared blankly, realizing that throughout the entire exchange, the Tree King had only spoken to the Golden Ape King, completely ignoring everyone else.
Zhang Yang patted the Golden Ape King on the shoulder and smiled. “You should communicate with the Tree King more in the future.”
The Ghostly Divine Platform, one of the four ancient forbidden areas in the Southern Region, had played a role in every major event for the past ten thousand years. It was considered the most enigmatic force in the region.
Even the other three forbidden areas and the two sacred lands that rivaled it had never been as actively involved in so many crucial moments in history.
The transformation of Cangmang Sacred Land into the Vast Forest had, in part, been influenced by the Ghostly Divine Platform.
The Wolf God Mountain seals? Those had been their handiwork as well.
When Zhang Yang had broken the seal on Wolf God Mountain and taken thirty-seven War Statues, the Ghostly Divine Platform had immediately sensed it.
At its center, a towering Ghost King Statue, standing ten thousand meters high, suddenly released a powerful divine sound.
“The Vast Forest is changing; the Ghost King Guards will move!”
Almost instantly, the equally massive Divine King Statue beside it echoed with a thunderous proclamation.
“The Vast Forest is changing; the Divine Armor Guards will move!”
Since the transformation of Cangmang Sacred Land into the Vast Forest, the Ghostly Divine Platform had been preparing for such shifts, training two elite guard forces specifically for this moment.
Without hesitation, the Ghost King Guards and Divine Armor Guards mobilized.
At the same time, a man with a long, ghostly face appeared before the Ghost King Statue. His expression was cold as he muttered, “With the changes in the Vast Forest, contact the Demon Sword Forbidden Area. Their Demon Sword Guards should move out as well.”
Zhang Yang’s Contemplation
Back in the Vast Forest, at the Howling Wolf Palace, Zhang Yang lay alone atop an ancient Sycamore Tree, deep in thought about the Baxiang Power.
His next step in martial cultivation required the power of thunder.
Chi Zhenyi had once told him that the best choice was heavenly thunder rather than relying on various thunder-path treasures. However, waiting for a natural thunderstorm was beyond his control.
As he waited, he took the time to assess his current abilities, realizing just how unique the Baxiang Power truly was.
Unlike other divine powers that simply granted raw strength, the Baxiang Power contained within it the Baxiang Divine Fire.
Those who had never witnessed its flames could not comprehend their terrifying might. Even the alchemists of Howling Wolf Palace looked at him with envy, hoping to use the Baxiang Divine Fire in place of their own flames for alchemy.
This led Zhang Yang to consider a new possibility—could other divine powers also harbor hidden depths, just like the Diamond Dragon Strength?
The Diamond Dragon Strength was not among the strongest divine powers, yet it possessed a unique quality. When activated, his body became as resilient as golden armor, impervious to blades and nearly unaffected by spiritual weapons.
As he re-evaluated the Diamond Dragon Strength, his skin occasionally flickered with a faint golden glow, forming a near-invisible armor around him.
“If I could witness a real dragon, perhaps I could further refine the Diamond Dragon Strength.”
This was not mere wishful thinking—it was a conviction born of confidence.
Even though he had only been training in martial arts for a few days, Zhang Yang still felt confident.
While he was deep in thought, a faint voice reached his ears, as subtle as the buzzing of a mosquito.
The message was clear:
"Your sister isn’t dead. If you want to see her, keep walking southwest."
The voice repeated three times.
On the third repetition, Zhang Yang finally pinpointed the source of the sound. He looked up toward the northeast and saw a large bird swiftly flying away, weaving through the dense branches and leaves high in the sky.
Standing up, he glanced toward Xue Feishuang’s secluded palace, where Yuluan stood guard. A faint, cold smile curled on his lips.
