All Heavens: Sharing Talents with Countless Mes

Chapter 755 My Guardians
"Awake?" Wutongzi's voice came from not far away.

Chu Yang quickly stood up and saw Wu Tongzi standing under a huge sycamore tree, which was covered with golden flowers that emitted a faint fragrance.

"Good morning, senior," Chu Yang bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your guidance last night."

Wutongzi waved her hand and said, "No need to be so polite. How was your rest? Are you ready to begin your formal cultivation?"

Chu Yang nodded and said, "This junior is ready. Please give me your guidance, senior."

“Very good,” Wutongzi said with satisfaction, “Then let’s begin. But before we go to the Phoenix Nirvana Platform, I need to test your combat abilities.”

Chu Yang was somewhat puzzled: "Testing practical combat skills?"

Wutongzi explained, "In the outer reaches of space, powerful magic alone is not enough; one must also possess exceptional combat skills. Especially in dangerous places like the Flame Starfield, life-or-death battles can occur at any moment."

“This junior understands,” Chu Yang said earnestly, “Please offer your guidance, senior.”

Wutongzi shook her head and said, "If I were to attack directly, you wouldn't even be able to withstand a single move. That's why I've prepared other opponents for you."

As she spoke, Wutongzi slowly raised her right hand and softly chanted an ancient incantation. As the incantation began, the surrounding paulownia trees began to sway slightly, as if in response.

"Tree Spirit Summoning Spell—Appear, my guardians!"

As soon as Wutongzi finished speaking, the surrounding sycamore trees suddenly burst forth with dazzling light. Within the light, human-shaped figures slowly materialized.

Chu Yang stared in shock at the scene before him. Five tree spirits, each about ten feet tall, appeared before him. These tree spirits were made of wood, yet they were incredibly lifelike, like real living beings. What shocked Chu Yang even more was that each tree spirit emanated a powerful aura.

"The strength of these tree spirits..." Chu Yang gasped.

He could clearly sense that each of these five tree spirits possessed the strength of a Saint! Although they might not be as powerful as a late-stage Saint, they had at least reached the level of an early-stage Saint.

"How are you feeling the pressure?" Wutongzi asked calmly.

Chu Yang swallowed hard: "Senior, the tree spirit you summoned so casually actually possesses the strength of a Saint?"

Wutongzi chuckled, "What's so strange about that? I've cultivated on this Wutong Star for countless years. These Wutong trees, nourished by my magic, have developed sentience and gradually grown stronger. It's quite normal."

Chu Yang gained a clearer understanding of Wutongzi's strength. The ability to casually cultivate a tree spirit at the Saint level was a power far beyond his comprehension.

"Then, your first training task is to fight these five tree spirits," Wutongzi said. "You need to withstand their combined attack for one hour."

"One hour?" Chu Yang felt immense pressure upon hearing this request. "Senior, with my current strength, can I do it?"

"That depends on your abilities," Wutongzi said mysteriously. "If you can't even pass this test, then don't even think about going to the Flame Starfield. The dangers there are far greater than this."

Chu Yang took a deep breath, a determined glint in his eyes: "I understand, senior. Please let me try."

Wutongzi nodded and said, "Very good, let's begin. Remember, these five tree spirits will not show mercy, so be prepared to get hurt."

With that, Wutongzi waved to the five tree spirits. The tree spirits immediately sprang into action, forming an encirclement around Chu Yang.

Feeling the pressure coming from five directions, Chu Yang quickly activated the Time Fire Law within his body, and golden-red flames instantly enveloped his entire body. At the same time, a familiar flaming longsword appeared in his hand.

"Come on!" Chu Yang shouted, charging towards the nearest tree spirit.

But the tree spirit's reaction speed exceeded his expectations. Instead of dodging, the tree spirit charged forward, its hands transforming into sharp wooden spikes that aimed directly at Chu Yang's chest.

Chu Yang quickly parried with his flaming longsword, the sword striking the wooden splinter with a crisp sound. To his surprise, the tree spirit's strength was no less than his own, and its wooden body was extremely tough, showing no obvious damage even after being scorched by the flames.

"These tree spirits are actually not afraid of fire?" Chu Yang was shocked.

Logically, wood-based life forms should be afraid of fire, but these tree spirits are clearly an exception. Their bodies have undergone special enhancements, giving them a strong resistance to fire.

Just as Chu Yang was entangled with the first tree spirit, the other four tree spirits also began their attack. They launched surprise attacks on Chu Yang from different angles, some using vines to entangle him, some using wooden spikes to pierce him, and some using heavy punches, all in perfect coordination.

Chu Yang was instantly plunged into crisis. The simultaneous attack of five Saint-level opponents was a pressure he had never experienced before. Even in the battle against the extraterrestrial demons outside the Nine Heavens, he rarely faced such a dense offensive.

"Timefire Sword Technique - Blazing Whirlwind!"

Chu Yang was forced to use an area-of-effect attack. The golden-red flames formed a tornado, forcing all the tree spirits around him back.

But this was only a temporary respite. The tree spirits quickly reorganized their offensive, and this time they were smarter; instead of swarming in, they adopted a more strategic approach.

Two tree spirits were responsible for containing Chu Yang from the front, while the other three launched surprise attacks from the flanks and rear. This tactic kept Chu Yang busy, and he soon began to show weaknesses.

"Pfft!"

A sharp wooden splinter pierced Chu Yang from his side and behind. Although he noticed it in time and dodged it, it still left a deep wound on his arm.

Chu Yang felt the pain in his arm and knew that this couldn't go on. The five tree spirits were working together too well, and they seemed tireless, maintaining a high level of attack indefinitely. In contrast, his mana and stamina were rapidly depleting; the longer this went on, the worse it would be for him.

"We must change our tactics," Chu Yang thought to himself. "We can't let them lead us by their rhythm."

Suddenly, Chu Yang had an idea. He began to activate the laws of time, slowing down the flow of time around him. In this state, the movements of the tree spirits appeared slower to him, giving him more time to react.

"The Fusion of Time and Fire—The Burning of Time!"

Chu Yang unleashed his latest mastered technique, perfectly fusing the laws of time and fire. Silver light began to appear within the golden-red flames—a manifestation of the law of time.

This special flame not only has powerful destructive force, but more importantly, it can affect the enemy's perception of time, slowing down their movements.

Sure enough, the tree spirits touched by the flames became noticeably slower, giving Chu Yang a chance to counterattack.

"Timefire Sword Technique - Thousand Strikes in an Instant!"

Chu Yang seized the opportunity and unleashed a series of sword attacks. With the blessing of the Time Law, his sword speed was astonishing, instantly leaving dozens of sword marks on the nearest tree spirit.

Although the sword wounds weren't fatal, they still seriously injured the tree spirit, significantly reducing its mobility. Seeing Chu Yang's counterattack, the other four tree spirits became even more cautious. They began to change formation, no longer attacking blindly, but instead adopting guerrilla tactics, using their numerical advantage to wear down Chu Yang's stamina.

This tactic was giving Chu Yang a headache. The tree spirits took turns harassing him, making it impossible for him to concentrate on dealing with any one of them. Moreover, as time went on, his mana was being depleted more and more, and maintaining the Time Fire Law was becoming increasingly difficult.

"No, I can't hold out for another hour like this," Chu Yang thought anxiously. "I have to find a way to break this stalemate."

Just then, the Archaeopteryx inheritance within Chu Yang suddenly resonated. A familiar and powerful force began to awaken—the profound meaning of rebirth.

"That's right, Nirvana!" A flash of inspiration appeared in Chu Yang's eyes.

Since a sustained fight is impossible, we can utilize the characteristics of Nirvana to be reborn at a crucial moment, restoring our mana and injuries.

Chu Yang began to change his strategy, no longer solely on the defensive, but instead choosing a style of trading blows. He allowed the tree spirits' attacks to strike him, but in doing so, he also inflicted greater damage on the enemy.

"What is this kid doing?" Wutongzi watched from the sidelines and was puzzled when he saw Chu Yang suddenly become so aggressive.

But soon, Wutongzi understood Chu Yang's intention. Chu Yang's injuries were getting worse, but his aura was becoming more and more intense, as if he was brewing something.

"Phoenix Rebirth Technique - Reborn from the Ashes!"

When Chu Yang's injuries reached their limit, he suddenly roared, and his entire body erupted in dazzling golden flames. Within the flames, his injuries healed rapidly, and his magical power returned to its peak.

"Rebirth from the ashes?" Wutongzi's eyes flashed with surprise. "This kid has actually mastered the profound meaning of Nirvana."

After his rebirth, Chu Yang's strength increased greatly. Not only did he regain his magical power, but his control over the Time Fire Law also became more refined. He charged towards the tree spirit swarm once more, this time with an even more ferocious attack.

The tree spirits were clearly caught off guard by Chu Yang's unexpected tactics. Chu Yang seized the opportunity to severely injure two tree spirits, and the tide of battle began to turn.

“Interesting,” Wutongzi nodded. “It seems I didn’t misjudge him.”

As time went on, Chu Yang's performance in the battle became increasingly outstanding. He not only successfully held out for an hour, but even managed to gain the upper hand.

When the sun was directly overhead, Wutongzi finally spoke, "That's enough, stop."

Upon hearing Wutongzi's words, the five tree spirits immediately ceased their attack and respectfully stepped aside. Chu Yang also sheathed his flaming longsword, panting heavily.

Although he had experienced a phoenix-like rebirth, the battle had still taken a heavy toll. In particular, the prolonged period of intense concentration had left him feeling extremely exhausted.

"How are you feeling?" Wutongzi asked as she walked up to Chu Yang.

Chu Yang smiled wryly, "The pressure is immense, but the gains are also significant. This high-intensity combat training is indeed very effective."

“Your performance exceeded my expectations,” Wutongzi said approvingly. “Especially the final rebirth, which demonstrated your profound understanding of the Archaeopteryx lineage.”

Chu Yang humbly replied, "It's still because your tree spirits are too powerful. If they hadn't held back, I probably would have been defeated long ago."

"Hold back?" Wutongzi laughed. "You're overthinking it. My tree spirits don't know what holding back means; they really wanted to defeat you just now."

Chu Yang then realized that the battle just now was a true life-or-death struggle. If he hadn't possessed the ability to be reborn from the ashes, he might very well have been defeated by the tree spirit.

"So, does that mean I passed the test?" Chu Yang asked expectantly.

“Of course,” Wutongzi nodded, “and your performance far exceeded the passing grade. With that kind of strength, you are indeed qualified to venture into the Flame Starfield.”

Chu Yang was overjoyed: "When can we go to the Phoenix Nirvana Platform to cultivate?"

“No rush,” Wutongzi waved her hand, “Before we go to the Nirvana Platform, I need to teach you a few things. The battle just now exposed some problems with you, which need to be addressed first.”

Chu Yang humbly asked, "Please enlighten me, senior, what questions do I have?"

Wutongzi thought carefully for a moment, then said, "First, your combat experience is not rich enough, and you tend to panic when facing multiple enemies; second, your application of the Time-Fire Law is not proficient enough, and there is much room for improvement; third, your movement techniques need to be improved. In the outer space, agile movement is often more important than powerful attacks."

Chu Yang carefully noted down Wutongzi's words: "Senior is right, I do indeed have shortcomings in these areas."

“However, you also have many strengths,” Wutongzi continued, “For example, you have a strong will and can remain calm in critical moments; your understanding of the laws is also very profound, and your fusion with the Time Fire Law has reached a very high level.”

“Alright, take a rest first,” Wutongzi said. “This afternoon I will teach you some special techniques, and then tomorrow we will go to the Phoenix Nirvana Platform to begin formal training.”

Chu Yang nodded and said, "Yes, senior."

Watching Chu Yang's departing figure, Wutongzi thought to herself, "This young man is indeed extraordinary. Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he also possesses unwavering resolve. If he can achieve a breakthrough on the Nirvana Platform, he might truly be able to find the Nirvana Phoenix and bring about a turning point for the prehistoric world."

The next day.

Under Wutongzi's guidance, Chu Yang began his formal cultivation on Wutong Star.

The Phoenix Nirvana Platform sits atop the highest peak of the Wutong Star, perpetually enveloped in golden, eternal flames. The temperature of these flames is so intense that even the void itself seems to distort slightly. When Chu Yang first stepped onto the Nirvana Platform, he was almost instantly knocked down by the terrifying heat.

"This temperature..." Chu Yang gritted his teeth and persevered, "is a hundred times hotter than the inferno of the Southern Ming Dynasty!"

Wutongzi calmly remarked, "The Eternal Flame is the manifestation of the purest flame law in the universe. Cultivating in this environment will have immeasurable benefits for improving your Time Flame Law."

Despite the excruciating pain coursing through his body, Chu Yang began to circulate the Primordial True Fire Technique. As the technique circulated, the Time Fire Law within his body began to resonate with the surrounding Eternal Fire. Although the pain still existed, it was now within a tolerable range.

"Very good, your adaptability is stronger than I expected," Wutongzi nodded with satisfaction. "The upcoming cultivation will be even more difficult, so you need to be mentally prepared."

In the days that followed, Chu Yang was completely immersed in cultivation. Wutongzi devised an extremely strict cultivation plan for him: meditating for twelve hours every day in the Eternal Flame, then engaging in practical combat training with the Tree Spirit, and finally learning various survival skills from the outer space.

This intense training allowed Chu Yang's strength to improve rapidly. His mastery of the Time-Fire Law became increasingly refined, and his understanding of the Laws of Fire and Time reached a new level. More importantly, his combat experience grew richer, and he no longer panicked when facing multiple enemies.

As time passed, Chu Yang seemed to undergo a complete transformation under the tempering of the Eternal Flame. His body became stronger, and his magical power became purer. Most miraculously, he began to be able to directly absorb the power of the Eternal Flame and convert it into his own magical power.

(End of this chapter)