The giant tree before him stood tall and majestic, with branches and leaves so dense it seemed capable of holding up the entire sky.

Yuan Ming gazed up at the giant tree, a profound sense of awe welling up within him.

This World Tree truly is the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Trees. Its existence is like a top-tier Spirit Vein that can be carried around, brimming with endless vitality and power.

He couldn't help but wonder when his own World Tree would grow to such a magnitude.

Yuan Ming quickly shook his head, dismissing these thoughts.

He took a deep breath, and a green light emanated from his body, transforming him into a much smaller World Tree.

This small World Tree emitted a faint green light, slowly approaching the enormous World Tree, and finally merged into the trunk, vanishing without a trace.

The current situation was fraught with danger, and Yuan Ming knew he had to act quickly.

He decided to use Xi Hezi's secret technique. Like before, when he refined the Forbidden Wood Pillar, he would first control this giant World Tree and then use it to activate the various Great Arrays here to deal with Su Wu.

Only by eliminating all enemies could he then calmly consider refining this World Tree.

The World Tree incarnation of Yuan Ming smoothly entered the interior of the giant tree, their powers of the same origin, quickly melding together.

He employed the assimilation secret technique Xi Hezi had just used, attempting to control the power of the World Giant Tree.

Unexpectedly, the entire process proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

"How can this be? Such a massive World Tree should have developed spiritual intelligence, yet it shows no resistance," Yuan Ming thought with surprise.

However, this was undoubtedly a good thing for him.

He continued to use the secret technique, attempting to completely control this World Tree.

Inside the Stealing Heaven Tripod, Xi Ying sat cross-legged on the ground, practicing Breathing Control.

Her soul fluctuations were much more stable than before, her complexion mostly restored, as she slowly opened her eyes.

"How are you feeling now?" Yuan Ming's main soul asked with concern.

"Much better, don't worry," Xi Ying replied.

"What exactly is the Causality Decree you used earlier? It consumed so much soul power that it even affected the stability of your divine soul," Yuan Ming's main soul asked again.

Hesitating slightly, Xi Ying explained: "The Causality Decree is a divine skill that can manipulate fate. This skill allows one to make a wish, influencing everything nearby to fulfill it. It's somewhat akin to the 'speak and follow' concept but much more complex. Earlier, I wished for you to safely reach the top of the steps, and the power in the ether assisted you in escaping Su Wu's pursuit."

Thinking it over, Yuan Ming's main soul asked, "So did the Causality Decree's influence cause the unforeseen attack that obstructed Su Wu, who was trying to prevent my safe ascent, thereby missing the opportunity to kill and obstruct me?"

Xi Ying nodded, "Pretty much."

"Such a divine skill exists! But using it must come with a heavy toll, right?" Yuan Ming's main soul marveled.

"All things have a cause and effect. The greater the wish, the greater the price the practitioner pays. But don't worry, I know my limits," Xi Ying said.

"Alright, be cautious when using this divine skill," Yuan Ming pondered over her words and slowly responded.

Just as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed.

"What's wrong?" Xi Ying immediately asked.

"There was a slight change outside. But it doesn't matter; once I finish refining the World Tree, the Three Realms Immortal Boat will be entirely under my control. You should focus on your recovery," Yuan Ming said solemnly.

Simultaneously, the group beneath the altar also seemed flustered by the series of changes.

Just at that moment, the entire space suddenly shook violently.

Huge fissures appeared on the ground, and the altar split in two fell into them, with cracks also appearing in the void.

Seeing signs of this space collapsing, everyone's faces filled with terror.

Hei Lian and Su Yingxue exchanged a glance, seemingly reaching a tacit agreement, and both moved swiftly as the wind.

At this moment, Su Yingxue stepped forward lightly, raising her jade hand to press on the trial steps.

From her palm surged a rich green light, like rippling emerald waves, shimmering with a mysterious luster.

On the steps, the green light flared, and a ray of light floated out, enveloping the key that had been refined from the World Tree.

It seemed to have been waiting for this moment of summoning, finally seeing the light of day again.

Su Yingxue's eyes were sharp, capturing the key with a quick move, and she gracefully returned to Hei Lian's side.

At that moment, Hei Lian was muttering incantations, her hands forming seals, performing an unusual spell.

Suddenly, dark light spewed from her fingertips, like a meteor in the night, slicing through the void.

As the dark light flickered, the void was torn open.

Inside the opening, a swirling vortex of black mist teemed, unlike the flickering light of a spatial rift, as if leading to another mysterious realm.

Hei Lian and Su Yingxue's figures flickered, slipping into the void rift.

Their actions were so swift that when the others came to their senses, the two figures had already vanished.

The crowd watched the void rift gradually close, looking at each other in confusion and puzzlement.

The group of demons from the Ten Thousand Demon Country turned to Wu Yu, waiting for her decision.

Wu Yu glanced over the precarious Silver Tower Space and said in a deep voice, "This is not a safe place to stay. We should leave first."

Six phantom fox tails suddenly appeared behind her, drawing an elegant arc in the void.

Six streams of silver light shot out, like meteors streaking across the night sky, instantly opening a space passage in the void.

The group of demons from the Ten Thousand Demon Country flew into that space passage, which then slowly closed, as if it had never appeared.

Seeing that the people from the Ten Thousand Demon Country had also left, the others began to grow restless.

"Master, what should we do now?" Yang Fan asked, a trace of urgency on his face.

Master Tantai's gaze roamed among the people, finally resting on Sima Changqin as he asked, "Lord Qinmo, you have the highest cultivation here, what should we do next? We need your guidance."

Long Hou, Jin Chen, and others also cast questioning looks at Sima Changqin, clearly viewing him as the leader here.

Tie Xuan, Shen Xiu, and the tall, big black Demon had also recovered from their previous weakened states and now stood beside Sima Changqin, silently waiting for his decision.

"Does anyone have the means to break open the void?" Sima Changqin asked, looking around at everyone.

Upon hearing this, they all shook their heads.

Though they were all strong in their own right, they were powerless when it came to such advanced techniques as breaking open the void.

"If my ancient zither were still around, breaking open the void wouldn't be difficult, but unfortunately, it was taken by Wan Tianren, and now I cannot leave this place," Sima Changqin said with a slight shake of the head, a hint of helplessness on his face.

"What do we do then? This space looks like it's about to collapse. Are we just going to stay here and wait to die?" Long Hou asked anxiously, his face full of unwillingness.

"No need to panic. I just used a secret technique to explore and found another world underground here. Since we cannot break open the void to leave, why don't we explore below? There might be a way out there. Moreover, the final ownership of the Three Realms Immortal Boat is still undecided; we might still have a chance," Sima Changqin said earnestly.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

They recalled the terrifying black energy from before, where even Wan Tianren was powerless, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness surged within them.

But Sima Changqin's words also gave them a glimmer of hope; perhaps they could find a new way out underground.

"Are any of you willing to join me in exploring below, at your own discretion?"

Seeing everyone silent, Sima Changqin said, "In that case, we shall take our leave."

With that, he and the three black demons employed the Escape Technique and headed deeper underground.

Watching Sima Changqin and the others disappear, Jin Chen, Master Tantai, and Long Hou glanced at each other.

"After all this toil, if we return empty-handed, it truly feels unsatisfactory," Long Hou said with determination, spitting on the ground in frustration.

"I feel the same way," Jin Chen hesitated briefly, then nodded.

Their gazes simultaneously turned to Master Tantai, seemingly awaiting his decision.

Master Tantai's gaze darkened slightly, hesitating for a moment, but eventually, he made up his mind.

He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Since you've all decided to go down and explore, let's go together."

The allure of the Three Realms Immortal Boat was just too great; they ultimately couldn't resist that deep-rooted desire.

Nan Shangfeng stood aside, feeling conflicted.

He both wanted to know Yuan Ming's situation and was worried about the imminent dangers below.

Upon hearing his master's decision, his inner conflict dissipated. Since his master had already decided, he no longer needed to struggle; he'd just follow them.

Having made up his mind, he was about to send a message to Wulu to invite him along when his expression changed slightly.

He was surprised to find that Wulu, who had been standing next to him just moments ago, had disappeared without a trace.

...

Meanwhile, outside the Three Realms Immortal Boat, atop Fire Peak Mountain.

With the upper echelons on both sides entering the Three Realms Immortal Boat, the Human Clan's cultivators and the demon soldiers from the Ten Thousand Demon Country each found places to camp, keeping a considerable distance from one another, maintaining a scene where they wouldn't disturb each other.

Amid the Human Clan's camp, Yuan Ming's clone stood silently, his face showing no emotion.

He quietly watched the distant Spiritual Treasure Space, contemplating his next move.

"I wonder how those inside are doing," Wei Ling muttered softly beside him, worry etched on his face.

Yuan Ming's clone did not reply. Though there was a connection between him and his true form, it was severed by the Three Realms Immortal Boat, leaving him unaware of what was happening inside.

Moreover, his true self had left him outside merely as a precaution; the clone's power was insufficient, and even if it participated, it wouldn't make much difference.

While pondering, Yuan Ming's clone suddenly had a change in expression.

He looked down at the ground beneath his feet, feeling a strange sensation rising from the depths, as if something were quietly changing.

"Could this be a disturbance in the Spirit Vein?" he murmured to himself, frowning.