Actually, after Qing Qishu left, Jiang Chen did not go to sleep.
Although Qing Qishu said that sleeping in the fruit hut could avoid being invaded by the "night" of the Primordial Forest Sea Realm, and naturally formed fruit huts were not rejected by the Holy Clan's heroic spirits.
Although passing through the Land of Hidden Serpents to reach the Land of Divine Shade had indeed made him somewhat tired and in need of rest to recover...
Jiang Chen still insisted on spending the second half of the night in cultivation.
This was not his first time dealing with the "Jade Balance." Back in Three Mountain City, Jade Balance Peak was also named after Jade Balance.
At first, he simply thought it was the source of Three Mountain City's calamity, but later discovered that people from Zhuang Ting's Justice Enforcement Bureau were stationed at Jade Balance. The so-called Beast's Nest actually had Zhuang Ting's shadow behind it.
Later, he learned that the production of Meridian-Opening Pills might be related to the beasts.
Everything Zhuang Ting did at Jade Balance Peak seemed to be for righteousness, yet it truly tormented the people of Three Mountain City.
Under Miao Qing's guidance, Jiang Chen overthrew Jade Balance, seemingly achieving justice and saving the people of Three Mountain City, but the result seemed to be detrimental to the entire State of Zhuang.
True and false, good and evil, were truly difficult to distinguish. Upon careful reflection, it indeed matched the ever-changing and unpredictable nature of the Jade Balance star.
That experience in Three Mountain City was extremely important for Jiang Chen, greatly impacting his perception of the world.
Therefore, he naturally had more vigilance toward the Primordial Forest Sea Realm illuminated by the Jade Balance star.
On the Tree Altar, yesterday's kind and amiable priestess showed no smile today, extremely solemn.
Qing Hua stood with hands clasped behind her left side, not looking around.
When Jiang Chen arrived following Qing Qishu, Wu Quji and Su Qi also came from the other two sides.
Su Qi was clearly well-groomed today, his clothes clean and tidy, and his hair tied in a neat Daoist bun. This showed that when conditions permitted, he was a person who valued a refined lifestyle.
Wu Quji, however, was bruised and battered, having been directly carried over by Qing Bazhi.
Qing Bazhi arrived at the Tree Altar with a dark face, set the person down, and complained to Qing Qishu: "This kid ran around all night. For his safety, I had to guard his room the entire night."
Having experienced "Master Zhang's" half-night of teaching, Qing Qishu now felt a sense of intellectual superiority when looking at Qing Bazhi.
It didn't matter whether the outsider ran or not; being a Dragon God Envoy was also a minor matter. Winning Qing Hua's heart was the key point.
And he, Qing Qishu, was now full of confidence!
Hearing this, he merely gave Qing Bazhi a contemptuous glance, not deeming it worth much to say.
This left Qing Bazhi bewildered.
The Tree Altar was quite a distance from the Holy Clan's settlement. At this moment, apart from these few Holy Clan warriors, no one else had appeared at the Tree Altar.
Seeing that everyone had gathered, the priestess gave no instructions, simply interlacing her fingers and closing her eyes in prayer.
Having also experienced Qing Bazhi's fists, Su Qi felt some sympathy and couldn't help asking: "Brother Wu, they said they'd let you go after verifying the Dragon God Envoy today. Why did you run last night? What was the point of getting beaten?"
Wu Quji said indignantly: "That old woman tricked me yesterday, so I wanted to trick them back."
But the question was, did you actually trick them?
Su Qi probably wanted to roll his eyes, but forcibly held back.
Jiang Chen actually had a good impression of this kind of personality: "Brother Wu is truly a man of true feelings."
"Hey, let's not talk about that." Wu Quji waved his hand, then said: "We're all strangers in this world, fellow travelers. Just call me Quji."
As he spoke, he wiped the blood still flowing from his nose, and happened to see Jiang Chen's amused expression.
Being a straightforward person, he asked directly: "Brother Zhang, do you find it amusing that I got beaten?"
"No, no."
"Then is my name amusing?"
"No, it's just that I know someone called Qu Hei, and it feels strangely familiar."
Wu Quji accepted this explanation: "That's quite a coincidence. If there's a chance, I'd like to meet him."
Jiang Chen's expression was strange: "Mm, if there's a chance."
The Golden Needle Sect was a relatively famous medical Dao sect within the State of Qi. Of course, its strength could not compare with top-tier sects like East King Valley or the Benevolent Heart Hall. The environment in the State of Qi would not allow such a level of sect to exist.
In fact, tracing the history of the Golden Needle Sect, it was itself founded by a discarded disciple of East King Valley. The sect's founder drew inspiration from the East King's Twelve Needles and found his own path.
The Golden Needle Sect's Golden Needle Salvation was also a unique art in the cultivation world.
Cultivators who emerged from the Golden Needle Sect mostly possessed a physician's temperament. Among medical cultivators, someone as straightforward and blunt as Wu Quji was rare.
The other one, Su Qi, actually caught Jiang Chen's attention more. This person was very deep, his methods unknown.
But what Jiang Chen could be certain of was that he had observed everyone in Seven Star Valley at that time, and he was definitely not the only one who had done this work.
At that time, he stood beside Li Fengyao. It was one thing to say that someone with Wu Quji's personality might lack this kind of attentiveness, but someone like Su Qi who liked to keep things hidden and reserved couldn't possibly have no impression of him.
The few of them chatted idly here.
The priestess, who had been praying silently all along, suddenly began to chant.
Those syllables were obscure and archaic, but when connected, a mysterious rhythm emerged.
As the chanting began, Jiang Chen and the others instinctively fell silent.
Every syllable was incomprehensible, but a vast, solemn, and mysterious feeling arose at the Tree Altar.
Both body and mind were solemnified.
Whether it was the pure Qing Hua, the irritable Bazhi, the slow yet lively Qishu, or the naturally quiet Jiuye—every member of the "Holy Clan" present faced the Tree Altar, performing three kneelings and nine kowtows, their sincere prayers merging with the chanting of the ritual.
In this sacred atmosphere, a beam of light shone through from beneath the wood grain of the Tree Altar, extending into rays of light.
The light rays spread, but had an endpoint in the sky, varying in length.
The light formed a strange pattern, projecting toward the firmament.
It was only at this moment that Jiang Chen saw that the wood grain on the altar, when magnified and projected, actually faintly formed the shape of a throne!
It stood suspended in the void, hovering above the Tree Altar, radiance flowing.
After it appeared, the light rays on the altar then converged.
And at the same time, that star in the sky, the star representing Jade Balance, slowly but surely, moved!
What amazed Jiang Chen was that although the Jade Balance star moved, the sky of this Land of Divine Shade showed no change in light or darkness whatsoever.
He had always thought that the Jade Balance star illuminated this world. But from this movement, it was clear that the Jade Balance star was indeed the only star visible in the firmament of this world. Yet the light and darkness of this world did not change because of the Jade Balance star!
Was the Jade Balance star in the Land of Divine Shade different from the one hanging in the sky of the outer Primordial Forest Sea Realm?
But after entering the Land of Divine Shade, Jiang Chen had carefully observed that the position of the Jade Balance star here was exactly the same as in the outer Primordial Forest Sea Realm.
What did this truly represent?
Jiang Chen vaguely felt that he had touched upon some incredible secret.
But the unusual movement of the Jade Balance star was not influenced by his will.
The sky's light remained unchanged, while the Jade Balance shifted position.
That tiny point of light in the firmament gradually moved, appearing extremely slow.
But for its trajectory to still be visible at such an immense distance was proof enough that its true speed must be terrifying!
At the same time, the throne above the Tree Altar also began to rise and expand.
The "throne" constructed from the altar's light grew larger and larger, but because it rose higher and higher, it actually appeared smaller in the visual field.
The speed of elevation exceeded the speed of expansion, creating this contradictory visual sensation.
Finally.
Amidst the sacred and solemn chanting.
Jiang Chen strained his eyes to the utmost, and could still faintly see.
In the distant firmament, that Jade Balance star seemed to land upon that throne.
As if...
The divine takes seat!