The Purple Diamond Yin Wood and the Call of the Central Plains

Xiao Chen trudged across the desolate Gobi Desert, finally reaching the exit of the Netherworld. A hazy, limpid light shone there, and the breath of the living world rushed toward him, making Xiao Chen and Niu Ren feel as if an entire lifetime had passed after more than a month in hell.

"Eh, over there…" Xiao Chen spotted a purple crystalline sparkle on the half-mountain that had been chopped down by Kong Xuan.

With a flicker, he unfurled his Undying Wings and shot up to the thousand-meter-high mountain peak.

A single stalk of Purple Diamond Yin Wood, less than three meters tall, stood there—but by all reason, it should not have been such a crystalline purple.

Yin Wood grew only in the Netherworld, lengthening an inch per century, a foot per millennium, and a mere three yards in ten thousand years. A ten-foot stalk blazed red like blood-amber, while a three-stalk specimen shimmered like purple diamond; the older the wood, the heavier its spiritual potency.

But on closer inspection, Xiao Chen noticed the peculiarity: though the trunk was less than three meters in height, it spread laterally, the Purple Diamond Yin Wood extending fully thirty meters sideways!

Its entire body pulsed with purple light, the main stem nearly transparent and crystalline, like a diamond.

Kong Xuan could not possibly have missed this supreme-grade Purple Diamond Yin Wood. But in his eyes, perhaps a single treasure tree meant little. Yin Wood was incredibly rare, yet Kong Xuan had swept away an entire mountain, collecting dozens of stalks—including two Gingseng Fruits.

Xiao Chen activated the great divine art of Melting Weapons into the Body and absorbed the Purple Diamond Yin Wood into himself. On the Eternal Continent, this was a sacred-grade treasure; whether for alchemy or forging peerless divine weapons, adding even a trace could multiply the success rate by several tens of percent.

A thirty-meter Purple Diamond Yin Wood was an absolute rarity of the world. The gleaming purple wood tore free from the earth, inch by inch entering Xiao Chen's body. When the last great purple root pulled away from the soil, a crisp "ding" sounded. Crystalline divine radiance flared in the dirt, and a single Purple Diamond Yin Wood Gingseng Fruit was brought forth.

At that moment, the chubby Niu Ren rode the Black Dragon King up the peak. Seeing this, he gasped: "A Purple Diamond Yin Wood Gingseng Fruit!"

Indeed, it was a glossy, translucent purple fruit—but it grew from the root, not the branches.

"This… how is this possible? How can a Gingseng Fruit grow on roots? Shouldn't they bloom and fruit on the twigs?" Niu Ren stared, dumbfounded.

There was no mistake. This was unquestionably a rare Gingseng Fruit, but its growing place was unusual.

Xiao Chen smiled. Regardless, gaining a single Purple Diamond Gingseng Fruit was an unexpected stroke of fortune.

"Fatty, I'm sorry, but I need to keep this fruit for Keke. It has no flesh-body left… I don't even know if it can successfully come into this world."

Niu Ren already knew Keke's condition and naturally had no designs on the fruit. Chuckling, he said: "If Kong Xuan knew, he'd probably regret it bitterly. Of those dozens of Yin Wood stalks, only two bore fruit—and the one he threw away had one."

Then the little fatty sighed: "Kong Xuan's divine abilities are unimaginable. Even in the Netherworld, finding a single Yin Wood stalk is extremely difficult. But he found dozens in one go and tore away a whole mountain. I suspect he wanted to transplant them to his own cultivation ground."

They passed out of the passage and emerged into a stretch of oasis on the Sacred Mountain's mid-slope. After a harrowing trek, they finally reached the mountain's base.

Two days later, they returned to the Pure Land. Flowers bloomed in riotous splendor, green trees swayed with the breeze, tender grass spread fresh and soft. In the Pure Land, rays of colored light danced, spiritual energy swirled—so harmonious, so serene.

No worldly clamor, no scheming of the mundane realm. Here, the very soul felt cleansed.

"I, Niu Ren, am back, haha…" The little fatty, having escaped death and fused with the legendary Ox King War-Soul, shouted joyfully at the village entrance.

Qingqing emerged lightly from the village, her skin like ice and bones like jade, features like a painting, body ethereal. She fluttered like a flower-butterfly, white robes pure as snow, flowing in the wind, her long hair streaming—a Luo Goddess incarnate. She seemed the very poem of a thousand autumns, or a spirit formed from heaven and earth's essence—the perfect darling of the gods.

Watching her fly out of this celestial realm like a fairy crossing the waves, this beautiful scene held not a trace of base desire—it was pure, supreme delight.

"Brows gathering the essence of a poem, eyes bearing the purity of verse…" Xiao Chen murmured involuntarily. "Qingqing, if you were to go into the turbulent mortal world, the emperors of the continent would surely wage war over you."

Qingqing gently wrinkled her pretty nose, her bright eyes shining with clever mischief. "Uncle, are you praising me or cursing me as a source of ruin?"

"You're definitely a disaster-grade beauty," Niu Ren said with honest bluntness. "I've seen two or three women with beauty that could topple cities—Zhao Lin'er and Yan Qingcheng—each could make all flowers pale. But still, compared to Qingqing, they seem a step behind. Even Liu Ruyan, that peerless seductress who drives men mad—my personal favorite—seems a little vulgar next to Qingqing."

"Hehe…" Qingqing, pure and ethereal, lightly circled Niu Ren, laughing: "Little Fatty, I thought you were always slow-witted, but your mouth is sweet!" Then she turned to Xiao Chen. "Uncle, you look well. I see black hair growing among the white—your lifespan has increased."

By tempering his body with the earth's bloodline, Xiao Chen's condition had indeed greatly improved. More importantly, his divinely transformed acupoints constantly seeped strands of pure essence, slowly refining his physique.

Time flowed swiftly, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye. Xiao Chen had now been in the Pure Land for over a year. During this period, he quieted his heart, cultivating and contemplating diligently. His cultivation advanced steadily, stabilizing at the Third Heaven of the Spirit-Treasury realm, no longer fluctuating as before.

He had already learned from Niu Ren that Hai Yunxue was to be married into the Tiger Family of the Central Plains. The wedding procession had already set out. Xiao Chen said nothing to this. He very much wanted to act, but he did not yet have the strength.

Silent cultivation, walking the lonely path alone—that was all he could do.

"Uncle…" Qingqing, clever as a spirit, came looking for Xiao Chen in the forest. She descended lightly from an ancient, sky-scraping tree, laughing: "Uncle, you've nearly turned into a log. You cultivate day and night and hardly speak a word for three days. This won't do. Cultivation is also refining the heart. This kind of closed training is the least effective."

Xiao Chen was startled, then sighed inwardly. The world truly held geniuses. He was already exceptionally gifted, but compared to Qingqing, he still fell short.

At eighteen years old, Qingqing's cultivation was deeper than his and Niu Ren's combined. The little fatty had once challenged Qingqing in a duel—and lost miserably, fleeing in utter disgrace.

What level Qingqing had reached, Xiao Chen did not know. He only knew that in terms of natural talent, perhaps only Lan Nuo could match her.

"Uncle, you're spacing out again! Hehe…" Qingqing laughed lightly, then produced a small jade bowl as if by magic. "This is black-grass lichen and black sesame porridge. Drink up, Uncle—your hair will turn black sooner."

Xiao Chen smiled, took the jade bowl, and a warmth flowed through his heart.

"Drink up now. Old Tortoise says it's very effective. I'll make a bowl for you every day from now on." Qingqing stepped on the leaves and flew away lightly.

Inspired by Qingqing, Xiao Chen began to travel frequently among the Barbarian and Forest Tribes. The Barbarians were simple and honest, friendly toward him. One evening, in a Barbarian village on the wild plain, many tents were lit with lamps. Xiao Chen sat with a group of Barbarian youths around a bonfire in an open clearing, eating great chunks of meat and drinking great bowls of wine. The little fatty Niu Ren came rushing up, panting.

"Xiao Chen, great news! Hai Yunxue just finished her wedding ceremony—and her short-lived husband was already killed! Haha…"

Xiao Chen set down his wine cup and venison leg, wiped the grease from his mouth, and asked: "What happened?"

"Hey, ever heard of the Eternal Continent's number one assassin organization, Reward Three Hundred Million?" The little fatty preened proudly.

The group of Barbarian youths sitting around the bonfire were all sturdy and straightforward. One of them said: "Brother Ox-Head, just tell us already—don't keep us in suspense."

Niu Ren was rather annoyed—ever since the horn grew on his head, all his acquaintances called him "Ox-Head." He grabbed a dried venison strip, downed a big bowl of wine, and said: "Rumor has it, this Reward Three Hundred Million organization has existed for countless ages and has a long, deep feud with the Tiger Family of the Central Plains. The story goes that the first Assassin Supreme once tried to assassinate the Tiger Family's old ancestor—that Old White Tiger Saint Emperor nearly died. Since then, the enmity has never ended. This time, I heard that the ancient assassin organization produced a talent in the younger generation who calls himself 'Three Hundred Million Gold.' It was he who killed the seventh son of the Tiger Family patriarch—Hai Yunxue's husband—in the Southern Wastes."

"Excellent!"

The Barbarian youths nearby shouted. They admired bravery above all. Cups clinked, and they drank freely.

Reward Three Hundred Million had a long history; the exact date of its founding was long lost. It was a near-legendary organization. At its peak, it dared to accept contracts even on Deathless Longevity realm experts. Legend had it that they had pulled off several world-shaking assassinations—the attempted murder of the White Tiger Saint Emperor was one of those great cases. Though they did not succeed, it was enough to secure their unrivaled position as the world's foremost assassin guild.

Niu Ren sighed: "They say Hai Yunxue still married into the Tiger Family even though her husband was already dead. That woman is truly hard to read—a living widow, isn't she?"

Then he turned to Xiao Chen: "How about I round up some brothers, and we ambush her on the road? We could snatch her away—or kill her."

"Yes, snatch her! They say she's one of the Twin Pearls of the Southern Wastes. Grab her for Brother Xiao or Brother Ox-Head as a wife!" The Barbarian youths were always eager for action. They loved fighting, and news like this made them itch to test their skills.

Xiao Chen shook his head. "We could defeat the younger generation, but if some old monster shows up, we'll all be annihilated. The Hai and Tiger Families are probably waiting for me to walk right into their trap. This is not the time. When I strike, it will not be rash. I will make them pay bitterly."

Years flowed like water; watery years. Xiao Chen spent his twenty-fourth birthday in the Pure Land. He had lived there for three years now, and it had become his home. The Barbarian and Forest Tribe villages were his second homeland.

His snow-white hair had turned black again. For two years, every day he drank a bowl of steaming hot black sesame porridge. His heart was moved, but he found nothing to repay. Qingqing lacked nothing, needed nothing.

He was not so narcissistic as to think this spirit-like girl had fallen for him. Qingqing was transcendent, like pure moonlight, the very embodiment of spiritual elegance. She cared for him out of natural kindness; if another had stumbled here broken, she would have done the same.

Kindness was not simplicity. In truth, Qingqing often gave Xiao Chen headaches. For him, this rescued "Uncle," she frequently played tricks. The youths of the neighboring tribes were also helpless—Qingqing often pulled harmless pranks on them.

The Vase Seal! The Tortoise Longevity Art! The Heaven-Spanning Escape! Where had she learned such wonders?

He was about to leave this place. Cultivation was also refining the heart, and he needed to step into the rolling mortal world.

"Uncle, are you really leaving?" Qingqing sat on a swing among the flowers, sighing. "Alas, now no one will play with me. Maybe I'll talk to Grandpa and come find you in the Central Plains later."

Among men, Lü Bu; among horses, Red Hare. Two years ago, the legendary Lü Bu, riding Red Hare, had appeared on the Central Plains' battlefield.

A year and a half ago, the God of Slaughter, Bai Qi, who had buried hundreds of thousands of souls, reshaped his flesh body and led two hundred thousand war-souls back from the Netherworld to the living world.

Nine months ago, the Ancient Buddha Dipankara had entered the Great Shang Dynasty's territory and spread the Dharma.

Eight months ago, Lord Tongtian had sent many disciples into the Great Xia Kingdom.

Seven months ago, the Primordial Origin had sent Yun Zhongzi into the Great Zhou Kingdom.

Six months ago, the Evil King, vanished for a thousand years, had appeared in the Southern Wastes.

Three months ago, the nearly forgotten Demon Sect Founder had manifested his true form in the Central Plains.

Two months ago, the Confucian Sage, Confucius, had appeared with nine of his seventy-two disciples in the Central Plains.

One month ago, Taiji Zhang Sanfeng had shown his form in the mortal world.

Twenty-some days ago, Zhuang Zhou had transformed into a butterfly and reappeared in the world.

Ten-some days ago, the Little Li Flying Dagger had shattered the void, beheading seven angels in the western Central Plains.

These figures, long buried in the dust of time, had all begun to show their traces—and this seemed only the beginning.

Xiao Chen felt he should go to the Central Plains to temper himself.

"Farewell. I will miss you all." Leaving behind half a stalk of Purple Diamond Yin Wood, a hundred times more precious than gold, Xiao Chen left the Pure Land, heading for the vast lands of the Central Plains.