Nine Star Hegemon Body Arts

Chapter 5829 Crisis

The light up ahead gradually dimmed, as if some kind of mysterious energy was absorbing all the light in the world.

However, the Undying Dragon Tree race’s disciples were excited upon seeing this. They knew they were about to see their Sovereign King race. The feeling of returning to where they belonged made them quiver with anticipation.

Watching their reaction, Long Chen felt a flicker of emotion deep inside. Unconditional trust and faith rarely appeared among humans.

Then, he recalled Su Yu and the Four Cardinal Alliance. After a single encounter, they had been willing to lay down their lives for him. Could any other races possess that kind of heroism and courage?

That thought settled his heart. The human race still had individuals worthy of trust and respect, but finding them was a challenge. Perhaps Long Chen and the Dragonblood Legion were not alone in their ideals. They just needed time to find like-minded allies.

The golden carriage slowed down under Long Chen’s control. After that, they all walked off.

Technically, they had only reached the outskirts of the Undying Demon Forest. The true heart of the forest was still far ahead. However, according to Huai Yushan, they had to traverse the land on foot to properly express their sincerity and devotion to this sacred ground.

Long Chen stored the golden carriage, but instead of placing it in the primal chaos space, he moved it to his spiritual space.

The carriage had expended an immense amount of energy during their journey, its item-spirit igniting its very core to sustain their passage. It needed time to recover, and Long Chen’s Spiritual Strength was the best nourishment for its recovery. Once its source was recovered, it would once more be able to enter its strongest state.

Still, he had already decided—this divine metal-attributed treasure would be best wielded by Bai Shishi. In her hands, it could unleash its full potential. He resolved to give it to her the next time they met.

As they continued onward, the space ahead of them only got darker. The strange life fluctuations also grew stronger.

Long Chen’s heart trembled. He sensed that both the sky and the ground pulsed with an odd energy, as though they had stepped into a fissure between two dimensions.

In the Dragon Tree forest, Long Chen had seen their mother tree. Its life energy radiated only as far as its roots and crown extended. But here, the life force was like an endless ocean—immense, overwhelming, and profound. Compared to this presence, the Undying Dragon Tree race’s mother tree felt minuscule. They were not even close to the same level.

What level of existence is this? The realm of Sovereigns?

A storm of questions whirled in Long Chen’s mind. This lifeforce was beyond measure, and even late-stage Divine Emperors would be as insignificant as ants before it.

As they continued forward, the darkness deepened, and the omnipresent lifeforce thickened.

“Strange, we’ve already walked into the Undying Demon Forest. Where is the Undying Willow race?” one disciple asked, his voice laced with unease.

For four hours, they had journeyed deeper into the forest, and the life energy was growing denser. The aura of the Undying race was unmistakable. Any outsider who ventured this far would normally stop, understanding that they had reached the “door” to the Undying Demon Forest. Without the Undying Demon Forest’s permission, continuing any further would be foolish.

Yet, despite crossing that boundary, they had seen no sign of the Undying Willow race. Worry crept into Huai Yushan’s expression.

Something wasn’t right.

Ignoring formal etiquette, Huai Yushan quickened her pace, leading them forward with urgency. However, even after another incense stick’s time, there was still no reaction—no welcoming party, no guards.

The air was frighteningly still, and it felt suffocating.

Huai Yushan suddenly halted. Closing her eyes, she formed a series of hand seals. A mark appeared on her forehead as she used the Undying race’s unique sensory abilities.

The next moment, her eyes snapped open, and her face paled. She said, “Outsiders have entered the Undying Demon Forest."

Though she had detected foreign auras, the forest was too vast for her to pinpoint its exact location. However, the knowledge alone sent a ripple of unease through the group.

“Don’t panic,” Long Chen said, his voice calm yet firm. “The air is still, and the laws of heaven and earth are stable. The Undying qi is undisturbed. If there were a battle, we’d sense the fluctuations. Maybe they’re just guests.”

Huai Yushan had been a very steady and capable leader on their way here, even during the ambush. However, she had lost her calm. Fortunately, Long Chen’s words could knock some sense into her.

“If they were guests, the guards wouldn’t have been called back,” another disciple pointed out.

“Maybe they’re unwelcomed guests,” said Long Chen.

The absence of guards suggested that these outsiders were not here on friendly terms.

“We have to hurry!” exclaimed Huai Yushan, unable to wait any longer.

As one of the divine guards of the Undying Willow race, they definitely could not permit anyone to harm the Undying Willows.

“Should we use the carriage?” asked someone.

“No. That might cause confusion. If they see an unfamiliar carriage, they will mistake us for outsiders,” Huai Yushan replied firmly.

In any case, they had arrived in the Undying Willow race’s territory, and the spatial fluctuations were very calm. As they weren’t fighting, there was no need to take that risk.

They sprinted forward, the darkness thickening around them. Then, through the murky gloom, they saw it—willow branches swaying ever so gently in the air.

The sight of those branches made Huai Yushan let out a sigh of relief. She immediately knelt, bowing deeply with reverence and performing an ancient and solemn gesture.

When she finally rose, Long Chen looked up. Crystalline willow branches descended from the sky, their delicate leaves carrying glistening dewdrops. Each droplet was brimming with boundless lifeforce, and it seemed to contain an ocean’s worth of energy. 

Then, suddenly—

A droplet fell onto Long Chen and the others. The moment it touched them, space twisted violently around them.

Their vision blurred. When clarity returned, they found themselves in a vast plaza.

And in an instant, their hearts tensed at the sight before them.