Chapter 873: Zhang Xuan Burns the Tree (Part 1)

"Elder Zhao, this Master Zhang is someone I specially invited to help treat the Bodhi tree. He also has profound attainments in the profession of nurturing medicinal plants."

Seeing the old man block the way, Yu Shenqing quickly introduced him.

These were all specially invited professional medicinal plant nurturers. If not for them, this Sacred Domain Bodhi tree would surely have died long ago.

"Treat the Bodhi tree? Him? A brat whose hair hasn't even grown yet? Isn't he just another swindler who'll make us risk our lives?"

Glancing over, Elder Zhao's face showed displeasure.

"Elder Zhao, what are you saying? Master Zhang is a man of great ability, different from those before..." Yu Shenqing's face was full of embarrassment.

"Different? Heh, isn't that what you always say? And the result?"

Elder Zhao flicked his sleeve: "If you don't trust us old brothers, we'll leave. There's no need to invite one after another, wasting all our previous efforts!"

"That's right, Your Majesty, if you don't trust us, we'll leave!"

The other old men also came forward, all looking displeased.

"What are you saying? If I didn't trust you, how could I have entrusted the Yu family's most important Bodhi tree to your treatment..." Yu Shenqing quickly explained.

"If you trust us, then don't invite these dubious, disorderly people anymore. We'll do our utmost. Whether it can be saved depends on fate. I really don't want to have to rescue it again!" Elder Zhao snorted.

Over the years, Yu Shenqing had invited countless medicinal plant nurturers, many of whom were fame-seekers. Not only did they fail to cure the tree, but they also caused it to be on the verge of death. It was these people who risked their lives to treat it and preserve it.

Because of this, every time they saw someone being brought over, they were greatly annoyed.

Especially seeing this one, barely twenty years old, claiming to be a medicinal plant nurturer with profound attainments... It would be strange if they could trust him.

Medicinal plant nurturing, though not established as a special profession, had its unique inheritance. Like the medical path, it wasn't just about learning some theories; it required more practice.

At twenty years old, even if he started learning at birth, how much could he have learned?

"This..." Yu Shenqing's face was full of conflict.

Speaking of Master Zhang's abilities in alchemy and artifact forging, he certainly had no doubts. But medicinal plant nurturing... he really wasn't sure.

Just as he didn't know how to respond, he saw the young man beside him, ignoring everyone, walk straight toward the Bodhi tree. The formations arranged in front of the tree were like child's play, unable to stop him. In the blink of an eye, he reached the tree and reached out to touch the thick trunk.

"What are you doing?"

Unexpectedly, after all that was said, this kid still dared to approach and even touch the tree. Elder Zhao and the others exploded, their hair standing on end, feeling their authority challenged.

"Nothing much..."

After touching the tree, Zhang Xuan shook his head and looked at Yu Shenqing on the side: "If these guys want to leave, just kick them out. They're useless anyway..."

"What did you say?"

"Kid, where are you from? There are only so many medicinal plant nurturing families in Hongyuan Empire. Whose descendant are you?"

"Young age, big talk..."

The old men all exploded at once.

Previously, Yu Shenqing had invited many medicinal plant nurturers. Though many were famous, they still showed them respect.

After all, in the Hongyuan Empire, they were considered the pinnacle... This guy, not only did he not greet his seniors, but he even told them to leave!

And said they were useless...

What audacity!

"I'm just stating the truth. Such a simple condition, and you can't even diagnose it, leaving it to fate... Are you here to treat it, or to hasten the death of this Bodhi tree?"

Zhang Xuan raised his eyelids.

After arriving, he had used his Eye of Insight to see some issues, but wasn't sure, so he stepped forward to check with the Library.

It was about the same as what he saw.

The condition wasn't complicated, but it was extremely difficult to diagnose from the appearance alone.

"You..." Elder Zhao raised his eyebrows and snorted coldly: "Simple? Do you know what condition this Bodhi tree suffers from?"

"Even if I told you, would you understand?" Zhang Xuan said indifferently.

These guys had been here for who knows how long, not even knowing what condition it was, unable to diagnose it. Explaining would certainly be unclear. Rather than waste words, it was better not to say more.

"You..."

Furious to the point of exploding, Elder Zhao and the others trembled incessantly.

In the Hongyuan Empire's medicinal plant nurturing families, they were absolutely the pinnacle, the strongest. They were always the ones looking down on others, and this was the first time they had been looked down upon like this.

"Even if I told you, would you understand..."

Kid, where did you pop out from? So arrogant, so cocky—does your family know?

"Alright, Your Majesty, don't delay any longer. Otherwise, this Bodhi tree will be killed by them sooner or later..."

After walking around the courtyard, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Killed by us? Fine, you tell us, how will it be killed by us..."

Seeing this kid's words becoming more and more excessive, Elder Zhao could no longer hold back and strode over.

With the air of one ready to kill him on the spot if he said something wrong.

No wonder. As a Saint-domain expert and the pinnacle figure of the medicinal plant nurturing families, he was long accustomed to being respected. Even His Majesty Yu Shenqing treated him with courtesy and dared not speak harshly. But this guy, young as he was, was so reckless...

He didn't put him in his eyes at all!

"You have arranged a Nine-Nine Convergence Spirit Formation around it. If I'm not mistaken, it's to forcibly infuse it with spiritual energy and activate its spirituality, right?" With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan looked over calmly.

"You know the Nine-Nine Spirit Convergence Formation?"

Old Zhao was taken aback.

Just now, hearing this fellow speak so harshly, he thought he was just another fame-seeking fraud like before. He never expected that the man would see through their purpose at a single glance.

The Nine-Nine Spirit Convergence Formation was one of the secret techniques passed down within medicinal herb cultivation families. It could help spiritual medicines—even saint medicines—that had lost their spirituality to reactivate it and regain their vitality.

Many herb cultivators were unaware of it.

The sacred Bodhi tree before them was withered and near death. After extensive investigation, they concluded that its spirituality had dissipated. Thus, they had paid a great price to set up the formation in an attempt to reactivate it.

Could there be a problem?

"Not only do I know it, but if I'm not mistaken, you've also gathered the spirituality of eighteen saint medicines and tried to forcibly infuse it into the tree. The result... you failed, didn't you?"

Zhang Xuan said calmly.

"This..."

Old Zhao exchanged glances with the other herb cultivators, all of them falling silent.

What the other said was correct. They had indeed gathered the spirituality of eighteen saint medicines, attempting to supplement the Bodhi tree, but... they had failed.

Only the few of them knew about this matter; even the Emperor hadn't been told. How did this fellow know?

Could he have figured it out with just a glance?

That was impossible!

Infusing spirituality was extremely troublesome. Once it failed, there were no traces left. Even they couldn't detect it. How could this fellow possibly see it?

"This Bodhi tree itself is not dead; its spirituality is still there. Yet you forcibly infused another spirituality into it, attempting to seize it by force... It's still alive and hasn't been killed by your meddling—it's truly tenacious. Doing such a thing, instead of feeling ashamed, you strut around here, thinking you can save it... Who gave you the confidence and the nerve?"

Raising his eyebrows, Zhang Xuan flicked his sleeve.

"You... nonsense! We tested it with various special methods, and the Bodhi tree's spirituality had already vanished. How could it still be alive?"

Old Zhao's face flushed red.

They, the old fellows, had tested it multiple times and confirmed it repeatedly. If the spirituality were still alive, how could they not know?

"That's right. I used the Gold Needle Spirit Detection Method three times, and there was no spirituality! Besides, if there were still spirituality, how could this Bodhi tree be withered and on the verge of death?"

An old man stepped forward.

"I also used my exclusive Green Smoke Spirit Detection Method and found no spirituality. This is absolutely true!"

Another old man nodded.

Everyone knew that saint medicines had spirits. If one didn't confirm that the spirit had died or disappeared before infusing another spirit, it would indeed be like forcibly seizing the body—not saving the medicine, but killing it!

They were all renowned herb cultivation masters. If they ended up killing the medicine instead of saving it, how could they ever show their faces again?

They would die of shame!

"Although our infusion of spirituality failed, it caused the originally withered tree to sprout anew, and the yellowing of the leaves eased. Clearly, the Bodhi tree is heading in a good direction. If we persist, we will surely save it. There's no need to listen to a young brat spouting nonsense here!"

Another old man waved his hand.

Hearing his words, the others nodded.

Though the infusion had failed, it had turned the Bodhi tree green again, as if it had regained a second youth.

If so, it should mean the direction was correct.

"Correct? The leaves have turned green, but have you checked the roots? Is there any sign of recovery? Have you checked the trunk? Has it become more moist or more withered?"

Zhang Xuan said.

"This..."

The others hesitated.

After the infusion, they had checked the roots—indeed, they weren't good, and the trunk had become more withered. But... merging with a new spirit would also involve such an adaptation process. Could it be wrong?

"The Gold Needle Spirit Detection Method can detect a medicine's spirituality. But how long is the gold needle? Can it pierce into the trunk? If the spirit is hidden inside, can it be detected?"

Ignoring their hesitation, Zhang Xuan continued.

"This..."

The old man who had spoken earlier fell silent.

The Gold Needle Spirit Detection Method used a gold needle to prick and make the spirit react, thereby testing its existence.

If it were a medicinal herb, that would be fine, but for such a large tree, the needle indeed couldn't pierce through.

"The same logic applies to the Green Smoke Spirit Detection Method. It can test an awake spirit. But what if the Bodhi tree's spirit is asleep? Wouldn't testing it that way make it seem as if it had vanished?"

Zhang Xuan looked at another person.

"Uh..."

This old man also couldn't speak.

A sleeping spirit, in the Green Smoke Spirit Detection Method, indeed appeared no different from a dead one.

"Enough talk. Tell us, do you have any way to save this Bodhi tree? If you can't, all your rambling is useless!" An old man interrupted Zhang Xuan.

The others nodded in agreement.

Being able to save it was what mattered most. Otherwise, no matter how much was said, it was all empty talk.

"A way?" Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and turned around: "Your Majesty, please trouble someone to fetch a few buckets of oil and some fire starters..."

"I'm going to burn this tree down!"