"Hmm?"

Chu Ming also spotted the young man in green, but he remained unfazed. Judging by his cultivation level, the young man in green was only at the Eighth Layer of the Guiyuan Realm, posing no threat to him.

"Are you a foreigner?"

A strange green light flashed in the young man's eyes as he slowly asked.

"That's right."

Chu Ming nodded lightly, curious at how the young man in green knew he wasn't a native of Mukong Island.

"How did you know I'm not one of the island's original inhabitants?" Chu Ming asked.

"Hehehe, all residents of the island are given a Wood Spirit by the Sect Leader. These Wood Spirits can sense each other. I didn't sense any Wood Spirit Power from you,"

replied the young man in green casually. Then, his eyes flashed green, and his body explosively transformed into a Wooden Sword, slashing at Chu Ming with terrifying power that made the space tremble lightly.

Swish!

Chu Ming's expression remained calm. With a gentle grab of his arm, a horrifying suction force emanated from his hand, capturing the young man in green like an eagle snatching a chick. He asked nonchalantly, "Why did you attack me?"

"Hehehe, if you have the guts, kill me! News of this incident has already reached the Sect Leader. On this Holy Island, you can't escape even with wings."

The young man in green showed no fear, mocking Chu Ming with a fearless demeanor.

Swish!

With a slight exertion of force, Chu Ming's hand caused the young man in green's body to instantly disintegrate into a massive blood mist.

"Hmm? What's this?"

Chu Ming's expression showed a hint of surprise as he reached out with his right hand towards the sky. His grab penetrated through space, capturing a fleeing green light. The green light was extremely thin and hard to detect, only noticed due to Chu Ming's strong Soul Power.

"Is this the Wood Spirit he was talking about?"

Chu Ming expressed a look of curiosity and surprise. The green light carried a rich Wood Essence, even more potent than the essence on the Wood Spirit Pearl given by the Cyan Bird King.

"No, this isn't just a simple Wood Spirit!"

Chu Ming's expression changed drastically, enveloping the green light with his Soul Power. Layers of barriers peeled away like silk threads, revealing an entirely green space in his Spiritual Sense.

Buzz!

After a stick of incense's time, the green light began to struggle. Subsequently, a small, two-headed, scale-armored phantom slowly appeared from the green light, emitting a faint oppressive aura that spread through the heavens and earth.

"Finally found you."

Chu Ming's Soul Power transformed into an intricate cage, enveloping the green phantom completely and erasing its existence. Once the tiny phantom was annihilated, the Wood Spirit's essence became much purer.

"If I'm not mistaken, not only can Wood Spirits recognize each other, but they can also control those who possess them."

Chu Ming took a deep breath and pondered. The young man in green was clearly controlled by the Wood Spirit, which caused him to suddenly attack.

According to the young man in green, all original inhabitants of Mukong Island carry Wood Spirits, implying that the entire population of Mukong Island has been controlled.

For a moment, Chu Ming's heart was restless. The Cyan Bird King hadn't informed him of the island's conditions when he entered. He figured the king probably didn't know either, or else he would have disclosed everything regarding the Wood Profound Fruit.

Despite being a small island in the North Sea, Mukong Island holds a population of thirty to forty million. Controlling that many Martial Artists gives Chu Ming chills, something even the average Life and Death Realm King couldn't accomplish.

"For now, I'll take it one step at a time."

Chu Ming thought, then donned the Wood Spirit on his body. With the Wood Spirit, he wouldn't be perceived as a threat by other Martial Artists on the island. Although he didn't fear trouble, he aimed to avoid it.

Swish!

Chu Ming picked a direction and began flying along the edge of Mukong Island, his Soul Power flooding in all directions like waves. Mukong Island wasn't very large; searching inch by inch, he estimated it would take about half a month to uncover every corner.

Time passed quietly, and Chu Ming had already been on Mukong Island for three days. He combed through the island's outskirts but still found no trace of the Wood Profound Fruit.

"It seems I'll have to venture closer to the island's center."

Chu Ming pondered. The island was extremely strange, and he was reluctant to approach the center unless necessary. During the three days, he encountered many Martial Artists, but the Wood Spirit on him prevented any flaws from being exposed.

Moreover, he learned a lot of information. The Martial Artists of Mukong Island weren't very strong. Ten years ago, the strongest among them were at the Fifth Layer of the Realm of Transcendence, and they were scarce. But ten years ago, everything changed. The island became saturated with Wood Spirit Power, accelerating the cultivation speed of its Martial Artists, causing many breakthroughs. Numerous Great Powers of Transcendence emerged, and at that time, the Wood Profound Sect appeared.

The Wood Profound Sect held immense power, spreading across the island. It was said to have an absolute powerhouse at the Eighth Layer of the Realm of Transcendence, and the Sect Leader was extremely mysterious, unseen even by the elders within the sect.

Upon its emergence, the Wood Profound Sect swept away all powers on Mukong Island, becoming the dominant force. The young man in green Chu Ming encountered was a disciple of the Wood Profound Sect.

"Wood Profound Sect, Wood Profound Fruit... perhaps there's a connection."

Chu Ming speculated. Ten years ago marked the maturity of the Wood Profound Fruit, and the emergence of the Wood Profound Sect around the same time seemed unlikely to be a coincidence.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Chu Ming moved towards the center of Mukong Island. As he progressed, the Wood Spirit Power in the air grew increasingly dense.

"Ahead lies a city."

In his sight, a small city appeared. Chu Ming's body lightly trembled and instantly traversed space to land before the city gates.

"Black Moon City!"

Three dark characters were carved above the city gates. The originally black walls were now covered in lush green vines, an ordinary sight to the people around, who had grown accustomed to it.