In the deep and boundless expanse of the Chaos World, the tense standoff between Lin Feng and the Hollow Willow Tree continued. Knowing that his situation was extremely perilous, the Hollow Willow Tree had no choice but to enter into a difficult negotiation with Lin Feng in order to save his life.
"Senior must promise that once junior hands over his natal treasure, natal formula, and half of his Source Power, senior will spare my life," the Hollow Willow Tree said with a firm tone, a trace of resolute determination gleaming in his eyes. He understood that his only hope at this moment was to extract a promise from Lin Feng; otherwise, the moment he handed everything over, he might be instantly obliterated by Lin Feng.
"I agree. Hand the items over quickly," Lin Feng replied impatiently. A flash of killing intent crossed his mind. On one hand, he felt an overwhelming desire for the Hollow Willow Tree's treasures and Source Power; on the other hand, he faintly sensed the protection of the Great Dao over the Space Demon God, meaning it could not die just yet. In this Chaos World, powerful though he was, he did not dare to easily defy the unspoken rules of the cosmos.
Cautiously, the Hollow Willow Tree began to release his natal treasure and natal formula. The first to come into Lin Feng's view was a chain shimmering with a mysterious glow, densely covered in runes that seemed to contain endless spatial mysteries. Driven by the Hollow Willow Tree's will, the space surrounding the Space Prisoner Chain began to subtly distort and undulate.
"This is the Space Prisoner Chain. It can lock down space, pierce through space, and manipulate space," the Hollow Willow Tree introduced, his voice tinged with reluctance and helplessness. This Space Prisoner Chain was a natal treasure born with him in the Chaos; it had accompanied him through the ages and was one of his primary tools for mastering spatial power. Having to surrender it now filled him with immense sorrow.
Gazing at the Space Prisoner Chain, Lin Feng felt a surge of excitement and greed flash in his eyes. He could feel the formidable power contained within the chain; once he mastered it, his application of the Spatial Law would undoubtedly reach new heights. He could not wait to make it his own, adding a powerful asset to his future journey through the Chaos.
Immediately following, an ancient-looking tome slowly materialized. The cover of the book was archaic and mystical, inscribed with the large characters "Hongmeng Space Dao Codex". The characters seemed to radiate a mysterious power, captivating anyone who looked upon them at first glance. The Hollow Willow Tree continued, "This is the natal formula, the Hongmeng Space Dao Codex, which can be cultivated all the way to the realm of the Hongmeng Golden Immortal." The cultivation realms progressed sequentially from Human Immortal, Earth Immortal, True Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, Golden Immortal, Daluo Golden Immortal, Hunyuan Golden Immortal, Hunyuan Daluo Golden Immortal, Wuji Golden Immortal, Chaos Golden Immortal, Hongmeng Golden Immortal, Creation Golden Immortal, Eternal Golden Immortal, Taichu Golden Immortal, Yuanshi Golden Immortal, Myriad Dao Golden Immortal, Other Shore Golden Immortal, Matchless Golden Immortal, Ethereal Golden Immortal, Taixu Golden Immortal, to Firmament Golden Immortal.
Hearing the Hollow Willow Tree's introduction of the formula, Lin Feng was overjoyed. He knew full well the importance of a powerful cultivation formula on the path of cultivation, and this Hongmeng Space Dao Codex could actually guide a practitioner to such a lofty realm—it was undoubtedly a massive temptation for him. He was eager to get his hands on it and delve deeply into its mysteries to enhance his own strength.
Enduring excruciating pain, the Hollow Willow Tree began to separate half of his Source Power. Source Power was the core of his life; with every bit he detached, he could feel his strength waning. But for the sake of survival, he had no other choice. Dense Qi of Chaos and powerful fluctuations of the Spatial Law emanated from his body as that half of his Source Power gradually condensed into a glowing sphere, floating slowly toward Lin Feng.
Feeling the immense power of the Source Power, Lin Feng was filled with joy. He knew that this half of the Source Power would have a profound impact on his cultivation, perhaps helping him break through his current realm and reach a brand-new height. Without standing on ceremony, he stowed away the Space Prisoner Chain and the Hongmeng Space Dao Codex, then cautiously absorbed the Hollow Willow Tree's half of the Source Power.
"Today's business ends here. Take care of yourself," Lin Feng said to the Hollow Willow Tree after obtaining what he wanted. Although a shred of reluctance lingered in his heart—feeling it a pity to let the Hollow Willow Tree off so easily—his gaze drifted back to the tree. At that moment, his greed flared up once again. He felt that merely obtaining the Hollow Willow Tree's Source Power, natal treasure, and formula was not enough. In his eyes, everything belonging to the Hollow Willow Tree could be of value and add momentum to his path of cultivation.
Without hesitation, Lin Feng condensed the Blade of Time. The Power of Time flowed along the edge of the blade, shimmering with a mysterious and formidable radiance. With a flick of his wrist, the Blade of Time swept forward with fierce momentum, ruthlessly hacking down toward the branches of the Hollow Willow Tree. Instantly, the space was filled with the sound of snapping branches and scattered energy ripples.
The Hollow Willow Tree's aura, already weakened from losing half of its Source Power, instantly became even more feeble. Watching helplessly as his willow branches were hacked off one by one, he was filled with agony and rage. Yet, he could only endure the pain in silence, not daring to utter a single word. He was well aware of his current plight; he had already paid a heavy price just to save his life, and if he provoked Lin Feng further now, he might truly forfeit his life.
Wearing a triumphant expression, Lin Feng gathered all the severed willow branches into his storage space and patted his hands in great satisfaction. In his eyes, these branches could perhaps be used to forge magical treasures or studied for their spatial mysteries; in short, they must not go to waste. He gave not a single thought to the feelings of the Hollow Willow Tree. In his worldview, the Chaos World was a place where the strong preyed on the weak and the mighty ruled supreme. As long as it increased his strength, he cared little whether his methods were cruel.
The Hollow Willow Tree silently endured it all, his body trembling slightly from both the physical pain and the inner humiliation. He swore inwardly that he would recover his strength as quickly as possible and make Lin Feng pay dearly for today's actions one day in the future.
With a look of helplessness and resentment, the Hollow Willow Tree watched Lin Feng's retreating figure. He knew that today's ordeal had severely damaged his vitality, and his future path of cultivation would be fraught with hardship. Originally, he had grown quietly in the Chaos, gradually evolving into a powerful entity through his innate talent and comprehension of the Spatial Law. However, Lin Feng's appearance had shattered his peaceful life, forcing him to pay a heavy price just for a chance at survival.
Yet, the Hollow Willow Tree did not give up. Vowing to restore his strength, he began to study the Spatial Law with even greater depth, attempting to find a method to recover and elevate his power from within it. Over the long years that followed, utilizing the dense Qi of Chaos in the Chaos World and his own unique understanding of space, the Hollow Willow Tree slowly repaired his damaged Source Power.