Phoenix Destiny Chapter 847: Chapter 848 Jianmu

Chapter 847: Chapter 848 Jianmu

The chaos was exhausted, and Xie Xingchen was already on his last breath.

Around him, there wasn’t a single living person left.

Xun Zining, who had been hiding far away, returned in a flash with Huai Zhongke and looked at him in shock: “You… why go to such lengths!”

Even with his poor judgment, he could tell that Xie Xingchen’s last move was one of life-for-life sacrifice.

That move was deployed, and now, it seemed almost impossible for him to survive.

Xie Xingchen smiled and looked at Lu Mingshu: “I’m the kind of person who’s terribly selfish. If you died and I were still alive, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. So, I’m determined to die before you.”

Lu Mingshu sighed softly, her expression indifferent.

Xun Zining glanced at Xie Xingchen and then at Lu Mingshu, feeling a surge of anger: “He’s in this state, and yet you’re unmoved?”

Lu Mingshu still said nothing.

Xun Zining fumed: “To think I once had feelings for you, believed you were cold on the outside but kind-hearted deep down. Turns out, you’re this kind of person!”

“Cough, cough!” Xie Xingchen interjected, “Brother Xun, so you were once my rival in love?”

“That was eons ago!” Xun Zining waved dismissively, “Shut up! You’re so badly injured, stop talking. I’ll see to it that justice is served for you!”

He turned back to Lu Mingshu and continued questioning her: “Don’t you have anything to say? At least let him die with peace of mind!”

“Brother Xun…” Xie Xingchen reached out again.

“I told you to shut up!” Xun Zining grew even more infuriated.

Finally, Lu Mingshu spoke: “Xun Zining, after all these years, have you still learned nothing?”

Xun Zining was baffled: “What do you mean?”

Lu Mingshu lowered her eyes to look at Xie Xingchen, who was bloodied and miserable. “Has he ever suffered a loss?”

“…” Xun Zining was stunned and doubtful, “Are you saying he’s not going to die?”

Xie Xingchen had already covered his face.

“Not exactly.” Lu Mingshu pulled his hand away expressionlessly. “Stop pretending; do you think I don’t know you?”

Xie Xingchen grimaced, “I really am at death’s door. Can’t you show me a little kindness?”

“Alright!” She softly touched his face, “Hold on a little longer. Don’t die too soon, or you’ll miss the good part. That would be a pity.”

Xun Zining was already dumbfounded, pletely unable to grasp the situation: “If he’s really dying, why do you seem so unconcerned?”

Lu Mingshu sighed softly: “Because, at this point, life and death no longer matter.”

After speaking, green light emanated from her body. The divine aura of the fallen cultivators began to converge on her.

The green light grew stronger and more vibrant, brimming with life.

“And yours too.”

Xun Zining and Huai Zhongke obediently allowed her to extract the Heavenly Wheel power from their bodies.

The final trace of green light came from Xie Xingchen.

With the plete fusion of the Heavenly Wheel energies, the four remaining individuals seemed to hear a faint hum beside their ears. The entire world transitioned from illusion to reality.

Chaotic outside noises rose in chorus.

Xun Zining and Huai Zhongke were astonished beyond belief.

Without needing to look, Lu Mingshu knew where they had returned to.

The true Divine Wood existed in the fused Ancient World.

What had happened before was merely the Divine Wood pulling them into an isolated space.

Now, with all the Heavenly Wheel power concentrated in Lu Mingshu, achieving plete Spirit Soul Fusion, they had returned.

But the matter was far from over.

The corpses sprawled around them still lay unclaimed. Outside, the lower-level Heavenly Wheel cultivators who had been slaughtered likely had also fallen there.

“Are you still refusing to show yourself, Heavenly Wheel Master?” Lu Mingshu’s voice turned stern. “Your game is over. The Heavenly Wheel power is all mine now. If you don’t e out, I’ll be forced to bring you out in my own way!”

Xun Zining was surprised: “You can force it to e out? How?”

Lu Mingshu didn’t answer but merely waited in silence.

After a long time with no response, she sneered: “Fine! If you won’t e out, don’t blame me for forcing your hand.”

A surge of green light erupted from her body, triggering a continuous hum from the Divine Wood Tree Heart. Lu Mingshu called out loudly: “Xiao Sang!”

“Xiao Sang?” Xun Zining reflected for a moment. “Is that your guide’s name?”

Lu Mingshu seemed not to hear and continued: “Do I need to keep going? Ruomu? Mulberry? Ganmu?”

After a few breaths of pause, a melancholy sigh sounded, resembling trembling leaves.

A ghost-like figure of a woman in palace attire and water sleeves materialized before them.

She had never revealed herself to Lu Mingshu before. This was the first time, and perhaps the last.

“Where are the others?” Lu Mingshu was unyielding. “Are they still refusing to e out? Do they want me to perish with the tree heart instead?”

Xiao Sang’s ethereal voice replied: “Don’t push them anymore. I’ll call them out for you.”

With that, she gave a soft point, and amidst flickers of green light, numerous ghostly figures resembling her appeared.

These figures were male and female, old and young, each different from the next. In no time at all, thousands of them had materialized in the Divine Wood’s space, encircling them.

At the sight of one figure, Xun Zining murmured in surprise: “You are… Little Yu?”

The braided-haired girl gave him a curt bow and smiled faintly, but said nothing.

Xun Zining was pletely thrown off, looking at these figures with trembling hands: “They… are all guides?”

“Yes,” Lu Mingshu replied, “Or rather, they *are* the Divine Wood.”

Xun Zining’s face was blank with confusion.

Huai Zhongke was even more bewildered, finding himself utterly unable to prehend what was happening.

Xun Zining pondered for a while before asking, “You’re saying that the Heavenly Wheel is merely a branch of the Divine Wood, and the guides are its Spirit Souls?”

“Correct.” Lu Mingshu looked at the figures, “There has never been a true Heavenly Wheel Master — only them.”

“…” Xun Zining couldn’t imagine this. “They’ve been nurturing us like parasites? How is that possible? It’s just a tree, isn’t it?”

“Cough, cough!” Xie Xingchen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “This is no ordinary tree. It’s the Divine Wood. In the Primordial Era, it was known as Jianmu.”

“Jianmu…”

Xun Zining recalled ancient texts from other realms.

“Above Lingqiu, in the Douguang Wilderness, stands the Heavenly Ascension Tree Jianmu, through which the gods ascend and descend…” he murmured.

“Exactly. While the Ancient World fragmented and its inheritances were severed, some myths persisted. Jianmu is the mother of all divine trees in the Primordial Era.” Xie Xingchen smiled. “Consider the names of these guides, and you’ll understand.”

Xiao Sang’s true name was Kong Sang.

Agan was Ganmu.

Little Yu was Jade Tree.

…all were ancient tree names.

Xun Zining understood and yet didn’t.

“But what does this have to do with the end of the Primordial Era? Why did they fragment into branches, transform into the Heavenly Wheel, and attach themselves to us?”

Lu Mingshu answered: “I initially thought the Primordial War might be related to them, but upon reflection, it likely isn’t.”

Xie Xingchen glanced at the silent guides before them: “This question should be answered by them.”