"Rumble!"
The scene before Chen Jiuyang shattered.
He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself once again within the illusion array of Sage Wang Yangming in the Peng Zu ruins of the Qinling Mountains in Dragon Country.
Everything that had happened before was after he accepted Sage Wang Yangming's illusionary world, forgot his past memories, and embarked on a new life.
He had finally comprehended and stepped onto the path of divine ability invincibility, Yuan Dao – No Regrets!
This was the true meaning of his divine ability!
Sage Wang Yangming still held "The Legend of Chen Jiuyang" in his hand, but his eyes looked at Chen Jiuyang with a hint of admiration.
"Not bad. It fills me with joy that the descendants of our Han family have someone like you. You have passed my illusion array."
Chen Jiuyang was still processing the memories from the illusionary world, his eyes filled with complexity. "So that's how it is..."
He, his father, his mother, Xi Butui, Lin Xianxing, Yao Zixuan, Lin Yuexian—everyone had different standpoints and did different things.
Chen Jiuyang cupped his fists towards the phantom image of Sage Wang Yangming and said with emotion, "Thank you, Sage. This journey through the illusion array has brought me much gain. There are many like me among the descendants of the Han family in Dragon Country, not worth mentioning."
"Humility is a virtue of our Confucian school. You are truly remarkable," Wang Yangming said seriously. "For hundreds of years, too many people have come to me for trials, and you are the first to pass the 'Guarding the Heart' array."
Chen Jiuyang didn't pay much attention to this, only asking, "Sage, I have a question. Are the people in the illusion array real or fake?"
Wang Yangming replied, "There are residual soul obsessions of many people within you. I merely recreated them."
"...It's real," Chen Jiuyang's expression became even more complex, and he sighed with emotion.
"Guarding the Heart is guarding the soul. Unity of knowledge and action is the right path. Therefore, anyone who enters my Guarding the Heart array, as long as they have soul obsessions, I can recreate them through the spiritual脉泉眼 (spiritual脉泉眼)."
Chen Jiuyang's expression slightly faltered. "Is there a spiritual脉泉眼 beneath this mountain?"
Wang Yangming was silent for a moment and said, "If there wasn't a spiritual脉泉眼 of our Han family here, why would I have sealed it with an illusion array?"
Chen Jiuyang said, "Rumor has it that there is a Longevity Tree formed from Peng Zu's corpse here, bearing Longevity Fruits that can extend one's life to eight hundred years and allow them to become an Earthly Immortal. That's why you sealed this place."
Wang Yangming smiled indifferently. "Partially true, partially false. The first person to discover the spiritual脉泉眼 of our Han family here was Peng Zu. After his death, he used his corpse to suppress this place, preventing the spiritual脉泉眼 from being discovered and harming the future of our Huaxia. However, Peng Zu's corpse transformed into a tree, and the fruits it bore had the effect of cleansing and strengthening the body for martial artists. He also left his martial arts inheritance here. I felt it was unstable, so I sealed it."
"This way, even if someone breaks through my illusion array, they will at most head towards Peng Zu and won't think of the spiritual脉泉眼 below."
Chen Jiuyang chuckled wryly. "Then why did you tell me specifically?"
Wang Yangming replied, "You have excellent talent and a pure heart and soul. You will not harm the spiritual脉泉眼 or the future of Huaxia. I told you so that you can look after this place in the future, lest someone forgets."
Chen Jiuyang said, "I understand. As long as I live, I will not let anyone discover the spiritual脉泉眼 here."
"Good. Since you have passed my illusion array, then go and see the Peng Zu ruins. Perhaps it will be of some help to you," Wang Yangming said.
A wooden door opened.
Before leaving, Chen Jiuyang asked, "Sage, you have been deceased for hundreds of years, why can you manifest in the world?"
Wang Yangming explained, "Before my death, I suppressed my sacred artifact here. The sacred artifact is infused with my soul, and there is a spiritual脉泉眼 beneath this mountain, which is why I can reappear."
Having learned the truth, Chen Jiuyang walked out of the wooden door and left Sage Wang Yangming's illusion array.
"Whoosh—"
A white mist dispersed from Chen Jiuyang's body. He was no longer obstructed on the mountain.
Walking slowly, after more than ten minutes, Chen Jiuyang stood on the mountaintop. A towering tree, with an age of hundreds of years, grew there. Its branches and leaves were lush, and each leaf was crystal clear, containing a rich life essence.
Just standing there and absorbing the essence, Chen Jiuyang felt his spirit refresh. This made his eyes light up. "Could this be the Longevity Tree formed from Peng Zu's remains?"
On a branch at the top of the great tree hung a nameless snow-white fruit, emitting a rich spiritual fragrance.
"Is this the legendary Longevity Fruit that can extend one's life to eight hundred years?"
Chen Jiuyang searched the memories of his medical immortal inheritance, but there was no record of such a fruit. Even as a medical immortal successor, he didn't know the origin of this fruit.
"Although I can pick this fruit, it carries great karma. I cannot pick it," Chen Jiuyang gazed at the fruit for a long time before slowly shaking his head, without any greed. "As Monk Puhui said, divine fruits are good, but not for people like me to pick and use."
"Buzz."
The trunk of the great tree trembled slightly. Chen Jiuyang felt a sense of goodwill being transmitted to him, which immediately shocked him. "This tree has become sentient and can understand human speech?"
He quickly calmed down. With the existence of the Green Bamboo Spirit Immortal in Qingzhu Village, Ziyang County, this was not surprising.
Wait...
This tree was formed from Peng Zu's remains, but how could Peng Zu's remains allow a tree to become sentient?
Chen Jiuyang pondered for a long time. He thought that the reason this tree became sentient was most likely due to the spiritual脉泉眼 beneath this mountain.
The spiritual脉泉眼 is the essence of Huaxia's dragon脉 and national destiny. It is infinitely mysterious and has myriad effects. Perhaps...
Chen Jiuyang's heart trembled. Why was there a Green Bamboo Spirit Immortal in Qingzhu Village? Could it be that there was a spiritual脉泉眼 beneath Qingzhu Mountain?
This was no small matter. Chen Jiuyang made a note of it and would deal with it later.
The trunk of the great tree trembled slightly, and hundreds of leaves containing rich life essence actively fell from the tree, landing before Chen Jiuyang.
Chen Jiuyang picked up a leaf, his eyes brightening. "This is a good thing. If an ordinary person consumes it, it has the effect of prolonging life and allowing one to die naturally without being harmed by poisons."
"If a martial artist holds a leaf in their mouth, it can also clear their mind and benefit their martial arts progress."
"These hundreds of leaves are priceless."
Chen Jiuyang did not recognize the effect of the fruit, but he was very clear about the effect of these leaves.
He originally had no desire for the things in the Peng Zu ruins.
If Chen Jiuyang had actively picked these leaves, their effect would have been greatly reduced. However, since the great tree gave them to him voluntarily, the effect was completely different.
Chen Jiuyang cupped his fists towards the great tree and said, "Thank you, Brother Tree."
Chen Jiuyang carefully collected and preserved these hundreds of leaves. He might not need them, but his parents, Yao Zixuan, Lin Yuexian, Ji Lengyue, Qiu Yihan, Lin Buwen, Yao Qianhe, Lin Xianxing, Feng Hanhou, the Chen family patriarch, and others could all use them.
Following this, Chen Jiuyang saw Peng Zu's martial arts inheritance and felt a surge of emotion.
"My surname is Peng. I have indulged in play for too long and no longer remember my name. My descendants all call me Peng Zu."
"The first Martial Saint of that year pioneered the martial arts for our human race and established a glorious reputation. I, old man, am untalented and fear death. I have some insights into martial arts longevity, which I record here..."