Chapter 24: The Eastern Dawn

In Wu Shu’s eyes, Lie Yan, the artifact spirit of the Blazing Hammer, was not very bright. After suppressing the Dark Demon power within its body, it must have depleted a great deal of energy. Yet, as a weapon of the Wu clan, instead of thinking about how to treat Wu Shu, it was obsessed with how to maintain its dignity in front of him.

Such an artifact spirit could only be described as disloyal and unrighteous.

If Wu Shu held the power of life and death over the Wu clan, he would certainly punish any clansman who acted like Lie Yan with the harshest of sentences.

Since Lie Yan wanted to teach him a lesson with its strength, Wu Shu was more than willing to see what the Blazing Hammer was truly capable of. He said bluntly, "You don't want to let me off? A piece of trash that can't even neutralize the Dark Demon energy has quite a big mouth."

Without hesitation, Wu Shu sneered, "Ghost Gate, Demon Statue, rise!"

Leveraging the power of Wu Zuo and Wu You within his spiritual consciousness and under his powerful mental control, the Ghost Gate and Demon Statue instantly took shape. As they were enveloped by two major formation patterns, perhaps due to their influence, the Dark Demon energy within the artifact spirit Lie Yan suddenly spiraled out of control.

With its entire body wrapped in the dark energy, Lie Yan had no choice but to concentrate all its power on suppressing the overflowing demonic force.

"Yo, when did such a prodigy emerge among the juniors of my Wu clan? Not bad, not bad at all. The family line is truly flourishing!" Just as Lie Yan was trapped by Wu Shu, the voice of a middle-aged man echoed. "Haha... Heaven has not forsaken our Wu clan."

The power of the man speaking was so terrifying that Wu Shu could not even fathom it. The man was merely speaking as a normal person would, yet his voice seemed to be everywhere in this space.

If Wu Shu possessed unfathomable mental power, this man likely possessed earth-force cultivation that surpassed human imagination.

"Little brat, don't just stand there. Come here quickly. Your ancestor is currently trapped in a perilous situation and cannot move about freely."

This time, the man’s voice acted like a tether connecting him to Wu Shu. Following the direction of the voice, Wu Shu saw a tree reaching into the clouds, and he was struck by a sensation of suffocation. How could such a terrifying tree exist in this world?

Reaching directly into the clouds?

"Oh, right, release the restraints on Lie Yan. Let Lie Yan assist you in coming here. Although this small world is not large, without Lie Yan's help, it would likely take you several days to reach me."

Upon hearing that it would take days to reach the mysterious figure without Lie Yan's help, Wu Shu’s mood soured instantly. The artifact spirit seemed like a vengeful creature, and having just taken advantage of its distraction to strike, Wu Shu feared whether his life would be secure if the spirit decided to throw a tantrum. It was risky—very risky.

After quickly wiping away the two formation patterns, Wu Shu pondered his options.

Aware of his concerns, Wu Zuo and Wu You, hidden within his spiritual consciousness, spoke in unison: "At a time like this, a mix of coercion and enticement is the best method."

Coercion and enticement?

Guided by their suggestion, Wu Shu immediately devised a plan. The artifact spirit was currently plagued by the Dark Demon power; if Wu Shu used this as a breakthrough point, he believed it would not dare to act out.

***

As Wu Shu was deep in thought, the middle-aged man’s laughter rang out again. "Haha... Dark Demon God, you old piece of trash, you must know from the grave that our Wu clan has produced a peerless genius immune to the curse."

A peerless genius immune to the curse? And Wu Shu appeared to be nothing more than a youth?

The artifact spirit would never question the words of the master. After taking a careful look at Wu Shu, Lie Yan suddenly appeared nearby and said with a hint of respect, "Young Master, please forgive the insolence I spoke earlier."

This sudden 180-degree turn in attitude left Wu Shu completely bewildered.

However, Lie Yan was extremely concerned about its reputation and did not want to remain in an awkward situation. The young girl gestured casually in front of her and said, "Wind Blade Crossing, coalesce!"

With that simple wave, the space in front of her was torn open.

"Young Master, please!"

The appearance of the Wind Blade passage felt incredibly surreal to Wu Shu. The artifact spirit had acted without any spatial fluctuations or formation support—it was nothing short of miraculous.

To prove the safety of the passage, the girl walked into it as she spoke: "Young Master, this small world was obtained by the Master through great fortune and has been completely refined by him. Thus, I am able to comprehend some of the laws of this world."

Was the Wind Blade Crossing truly safe? Despite his lingering doubts, Wu Shu stepped inside. In the next instant, he appeared at the edge of a vast grassland, standing beneath the towering tree.

Seeing the giant tree from afar had already shocked Wu Shu, but standing right next to it, he couldn't find the words to describe it. It was simply massive—too massive. Furthermore, the ability to traverse the void via the Wind Blade Crossing was beyond his existing understanding.

On the Forgotten Continent, Wu Shu primarily cultivated mental power and relied on arrays for offense. He knew very little about the laws of nature, a power few in the world even knew existed.

Standing under the giant tree, Lie Yan noticed Wu Shu’s expression and couldn't help but feel smug. "Eastern Dawn," a World Tree that existed only in legends—no one ever failed to be shocked upon seeing it for the first time.

The girl said proudly, "Little Wood, send them to the Master."

The way she spoke to the World Tree, Eastern Dawn, shocked Wu Shu again. He thought to himself, "Great-aunt, are you talking to yourself? Is this towering giant tree actually called Little Wood?"

Upon hearing her request, a root suddenly emerged from the soil and spoke in a milky, childish voice: "I have told you many times, by human age, this World Tree is already five years old. Compared to you, I am an adult. You have no respect for your elders, calling me 'Little Wood' in front of others—you are utterly insolent."

A World Tree, five years old, yet an adult.

Hearing this, Wu Shu felt something was strange. This tree must have grown for countless years, yet by human standards, it was only five.

The girl replied dismissively, "So what? Is there something wrong with calling you that? By human standards, I am sixteen this year. Does a sixteen-year-old need to respect a five-year-old?"

***

The root argued anxiously, "Lie Yan, you are sophistical! I have lived for countless eons; what right do you have to measure our ages by human lifespans?"

...

Watching their dispute, Wu Shu was speechless. The scene felt strangely familiar—were these two possessed by Wu Zuo and Wu You?

Within his consciousness, Wu Zuo and Wu You spoke in unison: "Pah... we would never be like these two fools."

Wu Shu did not want to engage them, so he asked a question he already knew the answer to: "I don't recall having any trouble naming you two back then."

To this day, Wu Zuo and Wu You would still argue until their faces turned red over who was older. Seeing the artifact spirit and the World Tree arguing, Wu Zuo and Wu You’s haughty display amused Wu Shu.

Hearing his remark, the two fell silent. There was no need to guess; Wu Shu knew they were once again plotting to settle who was the elder.

Interrupting the argument between the spirit and the tree, Wu Shu said, "This junior is severely injured. I hope you two seniors can set aside your differences and lend me a hand."

Interrupted, Lie Yan rolled its eyes at Wu Shu and said, "What’s the rush? You won't die for a while."

Having existed for countless years, Lie Yan possessed an ingrained sense of authority. With that single glance, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop by several degrees.

The World Tree had also received instructions regarding Wu Shu. Unlike the artifact spirit, it said in its childish voice, "Lie Yan, I won't bicker with you now. If we delay the Master's orders, neither of us will be able to answer for it."

Healing Wu Shu truly could not be delayed. Lie Yan said, "Fine, fine! Let us both prepare our minds and work together to send them to the Master."

"Open!"

"Enter!"

As soon as they spoke, Wu Shu heard the spirit shout "Open" and the tree say "Enter." In the next moment, he found himself standing inside a vast palace.