Hearing Li Ming's question, the white fox patiently explained:

"That's because after the Azure Emperor fell into slumber, a demonic aura arose from the secret realm, causing those originally gentle spirits to become violent."

Even we demons have been affected. Take that giant water serpent, for example; it was already ferocious to begin with, and after being influenced, it has become utterly ruthless.

"Are you sure the other person isn't angry because you wanted to steal something from them...?"

Li Ming was speechless.

The white fox stuck out its tongue and chuckled, "Hehe, but this guy dares to attack the descendants of the Azure Emperor, which is obviously going too far."

Li Ming nodded and said, "Then I'll ask you a question."

"Didn't you save someone more than ten years ago and give him a martial arts manual?"

How did you know?

The white fox exclaimed in surprise.

At the same time, he wondered if this human could read the mind of a fox.

Thankfully, I, the fox, didn't curse him.

Seeing that the fox seemed lost in thought, Li Ming's gaze softened considerably.

"Then I must thank you. Do you know that the person you saved was my master?"

Upon hearing Li Ming's words, the white fox's eyes suddenly lit up.

There's such a good thing.

So, does that mean I, this fox, am the benefactor of this kid in front of me?

So, is the half-lotus he holds......?

Li Ming saw that the white fox's eyes were fixed on the half of the green lotus that he had snatched from its mouth, and he knew exactly what the fox was up to.

"If you can help me obtain the Azure Emperor's inheritance, I might as well give you this Azure Lotus."

Li Ming chuckled lightly.

If you want someone to do something, you naturally have to give them some benefits.

The same principle applies to asking this clever little fox to do things.

"The Azure Emperor's legacy?"

"But I've never heard of the Azure Emperor leaving behind any legacy?"

The white fox was somewhat perplexed.

If there were any Azure Emperor inheritance, these demonic beasts would have already tried to seize it; how could they possibly have left it behind?

Thinking about this, Li Ming also realized this principle.

Even the true descendants of the Azure Emperor do not seem to have inherited his mantle. For an outsider like him to want the inheritance seems a bit too much.

No, my luck is strong now, since I'm already here.

If we only get this little benefit, isn't it like entering a treasure mountain and returning empty-handed?

It's a bit disgraceful for someone destined for greatness.

"Wait, I've entered this secret realm, how do I get out?"

Li Ming couldn't help but ask.

"That's simple. The person holding this token will automatically leave after seven days..."

The white fox preached.

"I see... It seems that the Azure Emperor did not want his descendants to disturb him for too long."

Li Ming pondered.

But if that's the case, does that mean he'll just fight monsters for seven days and then leave?

"By the way, where exactly does the Azure Emperor sleep?"

Li Ming asked.

"Hmm... naturally it is the center of this world, above the Jianmu Heavenly Pool."

The white fox quickly answered Li Ming's question.

"However, there is an incomparably powerful wooden Qilin guarding the Jianmu Heavenly Pool, so I dare not approach it at all."

"Wait, if you want to go and die, don't drag this fox down with you."

The white fox seemed to realize what was happening, and Li Ming severed all ties.

Although that wooden Qilin was merely a manifestation of spiritual energy, its strength was already equivalent to that of a demon king.

Of these descendants of the demon race, only a handful have reached the Demon King realm.

Moreover, these descendants of the demon race are forbidden from approaching the place where the Azure Emperor sleeps, and they rarely have any contact with each other on a daily basis.

Those naturally formed essences, however, have no restrictions; they simply regard the place where the Azure Emperor sleeps as the supreme holy land.

Only the strongest transformed being is qualified to be in the closest position.

"Demon King? That's the same as Martial Saint Realm."

Li Ming made up his mind; he couldn't just go back like this.

Even if he doesn't get to see the powerful Azure Emperor, being able to kill that wooden Qilin can still help him transform his true energy.

...

The Azure Emperor's Grotto is the center of heaven and earth.

A colossal tree stands tall, stretching for dozens of miles.

The enormous canopy blocked out the sun.

Even Li Ming couldn't help but sigh at such a sight:

“In ancient times there was a tree with green leaves and purple stems, black flowers and yellow fruit, called Jianmu. It was a hundred ren tall without branches, with nine branches above and nine jujubes below. Its fruit was like hemp, and its leaves were like awns.”

This is the record of Jianmu in ancient books.

Legend has it that many secret realms and even vast worlds are bridges connecting heaven and earth, formed by the Jianmu Divine Tree.

Of course, while the Jianmu tree in front of us is not that magical, it is still quite extraordinary.

The closer one gets to the Jianmu tree, the more concentrated the wood spirit energy becomes, even dyeing the sky a dark green.

"It seems a bit difficult to reach the Jianmu Heavenly Pool in the tree canopy."

Li Ming gazed at the boundless divine tree.

At that very moment, the Azure Emperor's Token flashed.

It led Li Ming to a certain place.

"roar!"

They hadn't gone far when they heard the roar of a strange beast.

A strange beast with antlers like a deer, head like a camel, eyes like a ghost, neck like a snake, belly like a clam, scales like a fish, claws like an eagle, paws like a tiger, and ears like a cow attacked him.

Their bodies were several meters tall, their feet treading on wind and thunder, forming a continuous, unbroken expanse.

The moment this wooden unicorn was born.

The wood elemental energy next to the Jianmu tree became extremely unstable.

As soon as it appeared, a dense spiritual energy gathered around it. The wood spiritual energy surged and merged into a vast ocean, which was quite terrifying.

A blue light shot into the sky from a radius of dozens of miles, and thousands of auspicious rays of light surged and rippled, as if a divine beast had appeared.

The scene was magnificent, as if a real ancient mythical beast had emerged!

This wooden Qilin actually has a rather complicated origin.

The Azure Emperor once had a real wooden Qilin as his mount, but he perished in a great battle, and even his soul was scattered, with only a wisp of his spirit remaining.

The wooden Qilin before us is truly a product of the fusion of its spiritual energy and ingenuity.

"It's been so many years, I haven't seen a human in ages... You've come all this way, which shows how strong you are."

The first thing the wooden Qilin did upon seeing Li Ming was not to attack, but to engage in conversation.

The way he looked at Li Ming was somewhat scrutinizing.

"However, you don't have the bloodline of the Azure Emperor. It seems that the descendants of the Azure Emperor ultimately cannot escape that curse."

The wooden unicorn's voice was incredibly old, tinged with helplessness.

Li Ming frowned. The wooden Qilin in front of him was surprisingly intelligent, clearly not as simple as the fox had described, which was merely the manifestation of essence.

"The bloodline of the Azure Emperor still exists... However, his lineage has been destroyed, and I don't know how many people remain."

"And this token was also a gift from someone."

Hearing Li Ming's explanation, Mu Qilin seemed unconcerned and stated directly:

"If you've come for the inheritance of the Azure Emperor, then you may be disappointed."

There is no tradition here.