Immortal Divine Tribulation

Chapter 157: The Strange Wood Spirit Orb

In the western region of the Divine Martial Continent lay a vast, ancient forest untouched by time. 

Towering trees stood densely packed, their thick trunks and lush leaves stretching endlessly into the horizon. No one knew how many years they had stood here, yet none bore a trace of decay. The air was fresh, the scenery vibrant with shades of emerald green.

Below, the animals were all robust and brimming with vitality. Even a distant male lion, though fierce in nature, lounged peacefully, its usual ferocity hidden beneath a calm demeanor.

Suddenly—

Boom!

High above the forest canopy, a silver portal tore open. 

A white-robed figure drifted out from within, silently hovering in midair like a celestial immortal descended from the heavens.

The animals below lifted their heads, gazing upward in wonder at this otherworldly sight.

Tian Fan looked down at the forest beneath him. It stretched farther than his eyes could see, the density of life force here so overwhelming that even he couldn’t help but be astonished.

A soft hum resonated from within him—his Wind Spirit Orb and Thunder Spirit Orb trembled at the same time, before settling back into stillness.

“There’s no mistake,” he murmured, his eyes flashing with divine light as he peered far into the distance. “A Spirit Orb is here.”

From the silver portal behind him, another voice called out, “Western Region, your big brother has arrived!”

A second white-clad figure emerged, swaggering as he floated down—the Holy Son of the Demon Saint Palace. His laughter was as arrogant as his demeanor, brimming with the roguish charm of a shameless rascal.

“You?” Tian Fan was mildly surprised. He hadn’t expected this man to follow him all the way from the Northern Region.

“Don’t get obsessed with me. I’m just a living legend,” the Holy Son said with a cocky tilt of his head, his bangs flicking upward with studied flair.

The two descended together into the forest. The air here was tranquil, bathed in gentle light. The surrounding animals, all intelligent and unafraid, moved freely among them. A spotted fawn even trotted past, glanced them over, then shook its head with apparent disdain before walking off with its head held high—almost as if it found their clothing too shabby compared to its own natural beauty.

“…I—*****…”

The Holy Son was speechless. Being looked down on by a mere animal was truly a blow to his pride.

They walked deeper into the forest. Tian Fan quietly circulated the Five Elements Art, a faint silver glow radiating from his body. But aside from the brief tremor of his Spirit Orbs earlier, there was no further response.

“Hey, maybe that thing you sensed is wrong,” the Holy Son muttered, clearly skeptical. “There’s no way such a treasure could exist here. If it did, someone would’ve taken it ages ago. This place is way too peaceful for a heaven-and-earth divine object to just sit around.”

“Believe me,” Tian Fan replied calmly, “there’s definitely a Spirit Orb here.”

He slowly rose into the air, his silver radiance blazing brighter, golden fire flickering in his eyes. His divine sense surged outward like a golden ocean, sweeping across the entire forest. 

The Holy Son, though boastful by nature, was inwardly shocked—this was an extraordinary display of spiritual power.

“Impossible…” the Holy Son muttered under his breath. 

Even after Tian Fan scanned the whole forest, he found no trace of a Spirit Orb’s aura. Both the Wind and Thunder Spirit Orbs in Tian Fan’s body had quieted completely. Still, the Holy Son trusted him—not just because of Tian Fan’s ancient divine lineage, but because of the shared origin of their powers.

“Let’s go deeper.”

They descended and continued forward.

A soft, pitiful whimper reached them from the left. Following the sound, they saw a small, bright-green tree—and beside it, a squirrel with its left leg trapped in an iron clamp. Blood dripped from its wound, staining its glossy fur crimson.

The little creature whimpered again, having only come out in search of food, only to step into a hunter’s snare.

“It’s just a little thing. Leave it,” the Holy Son said casually, whistling as he walked ahead.

Tian Fan shook his head slightly. The small animal looked too pitiful to ignore.

“Oh, I get it!” The Holy Son’s eyes lit up. “A bit of wild meat for dinner—nice thinking!” He rubbed his hands together, following behind with a grin.

The squirrel shrank back in fear as they approached.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll help you,” Tian Fan said softly.

“Wow, no need to sweet-talk it,” the Holy Son scoffed. “It’s not going anywhere. You’re just tricking it before the end. Cruel.”

The squirrel’s eyes widened in alarm at the Holy Son’s words, squeaking in panic.

“Shut up,” Tian Fan snapped, glaring at him before turning back to the little creature with a gentle tone. “Don’t listen to him. I won’t hurt you.”

He carefully pried open the trap. The squirrel cried out in pain, its watery eyes shimmering with tears like a frightened child.

“Don’t be afraid.”

A soft silver glow flowed from Tian Fan’s palm into the injured leg, stopping the bleeding within moments.

The squirrel squeaked happily, hopping around before climbing onto his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek affectionately with its fluffy head.

“Heh, go on. Be more careful next time,” Tian Fan said, placing it back on the ground and watching it disappear into the tall grass.

“You’ve killed countless people, but you show such compassion to a little animal. I’ll never understand you,” the Holy Son muttered.

“Many times, humans are far worse than animals. I think you know that,” Tian Fan replied evenly, continuing deeper into the forest.

But just as they moved on, both the Wind and Thunder Spirit Orbs in his body began to tremble violently before flying out, drifting back toward where the squirrel had been rescued.

“What is that…?”

The Orbs floated toward the small green tree, circling it. A faint green light emerged from the tree, growing brighter and brighter until they had to close their eyes.

When the radiance faded, they opened their eyes to see a lush green Orb hovering between the Wind and Thunder Spirit Orbs. An endless vitality radiated from it, and within its depths stretched a boundless expanse of green.

There was no doubt—it was the Wood Spirit Orb!

All three Orbs trembled in unison before floating toward Tian Fan. The Holy Son’s eyes burned with excitement, but he said nothing about taking a share. He knew its importance to Tian Fan.

The Wood Spirit Orb hovered above Tian Fan’s head, trailing a green stream of light. Then, to their astonishment, that light formed a single word in midair—

Love.

The two exchanged incredulous looks. The Orb had a will of its own.

It seemed it had originally intended to save the squirrel itself, but Tian Fan had acted first, prompting it to reveal its aura. Otherwise, disguised as an ordinary tree with its power sealed, even the Wind and Thunder Spirit Orbs wouldn’t have detected it.

“I can’t believe a Orb has cultivated a spirit. Unbelievable,” the Holy Son groaned, rolling his eyes. Now he understood why it had eluded seekers for so many years.

“Let’s go.”

Tian Fan collected the three Spirit Orbs, and together they soared upward, heading out of the forest. But before they had gone far, a violent surge of energy rippled from ahead. 

A group of cultivators was rushing toward them—some flying through the air, others riding spiritual beasts—each radiating killing intent so intense that the land itself seemed to quake.

“They got here fast,” Tian Fan said coldly, locking his gaze on the figure at the forefront…