Chapter 63: The Inconceivable Mountain Treasure!

Zhang Hao stared intently at the peculiar section of tree trunk, his pupils contracting and dilating repeatedly as a strange expression crossed his face.

That was... a strange tree trunk?

No, no, strange was not the word for it; it was wondrous—unfathomably wondrous.

The upper half of the trunk was charred as black as coal, as if it would burst into flames at the mere touch of fire.

The lower half, however, looked entirely newborn; although the bark appeared somewhat withered, one could still discern the vibrant, surging vitality contained within it.

Most importantly, at the very base of the trunk, numerous thin and thick, long and short, root-like tendrils connected it to the tree stump below.

This section of the trunk looked as though it had grown directly out of that stump.

The longer he looked at this object, the stranger it became, and the less it resembled anything ordinary.

Furthermore, Zhang Hao felt as though he had seen this thing before in the [Chronicles of Mountain Wandering and Traveling], though he simply could not recall it for the moment.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak~"

At that moment.

The elder fox standing at the very front suddenly raised both paws, its hind legs buckling as if kneeling directly before the tree stump.

The fox groom and fox bride did the same, dropping to their knees one after another, raising their paws above their heads while letting out squeaking cries.

Those cries seemed laden with respect and reverence.

For foxes to worship a tree trunk... no matter how one looked at it, it felt exceedingly bizarre.

Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes, meticulously examining that section of trunk. While maintaining a calm and nonchalant exterior, his mind was already racing, sparking with countless thoughts.

If he was not mistaken, that section of trunk was very likely a supreme mountain treasure.

After all, a tree trunk this peculiar would be impossible to find a second time across the entire expanse of the great mountains.

The upper half of the trunk looked as though it had been split by lightning... wait!

He suddenly froze, his pupils contracting violently.

He seemed to remember a partial record regarding this section of tree trunk within the [Chronicles of Mountain Wandering and Traveling].

This thing appeared to be called the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood], bearing some similarity to what Taoists or sorcerers commonly referred to as lightning-struck wood.

However, the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] was far more formidable than ordinary lightning-struck wood.

According to ancient texts, the conditions required for the formation of a [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] were exceptionally strict—so rare that calling it a miracle would be no exaggeration.

To explain it from a more modern, scientific perspective: first, a special magnetic field was required, one capable of attracting heavenly thunder so that whenever a thunderstorm occurred, the lightning would strike and hit only a specific spot within this region.

Most importantly, at the exact spot where the heavenly thunder struck, there had to be a tree that had grown for at least three years.

In other words, this location required at least three years without thunder, during which a small sapling must grow; the probability of such conditions aligning was exceptionally low.

Following that, when the heavenly thunder descended and struck this small tree, leaving behind a single section of trunk, this formed the embryonic form of the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood].

At this stage, it could also be called lightning-struck wood, as it had indeed suffered a lightning strike.

Afterward, the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] needed to endure decades, or even centuries, of baptism by heavenly thunder. This meant that every time heavy rain fell and thunder flashed, the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] would be struck again. In this manner, after several decades, the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] would be scorched into a trunk resembling charred coal, its surface turning pitch black without the slightest trace of vitality.

Yet, this still did not complete the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood].

Subsequently, the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] required a host medium—it could be a tree stump, an open clearing, a boulder, or a large tree.

After enduring decades of heavenly thunder, if this [Heavenly Tribulation Wood], which should have long since lost its vitality, experienced a resurgence of life and sprouted new buds, it would truly become the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood].

The underlying meaning was simple: having weathered the heavenly tribulation, it was reborn nonetheless.

Zhang Hao remembered the ancient texts recording something along these lines—such as the uses of the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood], where it typically appeared, and various other details, but he could no longer recall them clearly and would need to pull out the [Chronicles of Mountain Wandering and Traveling] to check.

However, now was clearly not a good time to be reading ancient texts.

It seemed that the peculiar tree trunk resting upon the tree stump was very likely the genuine [Heavenly Tribulation Wood]?

If that truly was the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood], it meant that... the mountain treasure of the fox wedding was precisely this [Heavenly Tribulation Wood]!

One could say that the right time, the right place, and proper conditions were all indispensable; the birth conditions for the heavenly tribulation wood were immensely harsh, and luck played far too great a role, which was why the phrase "heaven-bestowed mountain treasure" existed.

This also served as proof of nature's uncanny craftsmanship.

Crack!

Just at that moment, a deafening thunderclap exploded, interrupting Zhang Hao's train of thought and startling him into a violent shudder.

As he snapped back to his senses, a blinding flash of light suddenly erupted before his eyes. In his momentary lapse, he forgot to close his eyes and watched helplessly as that dazzling light instantly struck the peculiar trunk on the tree stump, scattering microscopic sparks before vanishing in an instant.

Subconsciously, Zhang Hao closed his eyes, covering them with both hands while baring his teeth in an expression of pain.

Staring directly into such a blinding light was more than his eyes could bear.

Yet, the entirety of his focus remained locked on his thoughts.

Was that... was that lightning just now?

If his eyes did not deceive him, it was indeed a bolt of lightning, and that very bolt of lightning had struck squarely upon the suspected [Heavenly Tribulation Wood].

"Squeak, squeak, squeak~"

"Squeak, squeak, squeak~"

"Grant your blessing, grant your blessing! May the path ahead of me be a little smoother, and let me escape this bitter sea soon. Grant your blessing, grant your blessing..."

The cries of the foxes echoed in his ears, mingled with the prayers of Liu Wenchang.

What Liu Wenchang was murmuring presumably mirrored the intentions of the foxes—kneeling before the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] in prayer.

This was some form of ancient sacrificial ritual, akin to ancestral worship practiced by clans.

Who knew, there might even be the ancestors of these foxes buried beneath that tree stump.

However, there was no need to investigate that detail.

Zhang Hao rolled his eyeballs. As the stinging discomfort gradually subsided, he slowly opened his eyes, squinting to adjust before looking back at the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] on the stump.

Hiss.

At a single glance, he could not help drawing a sharp breath.

That section of the trunk bore no trace of damage whatsoever; the charred upper half remained coal, the lower half remained wood, and the delicate roots at the tail end were entirely unaffected.

It was as if that flash of lightning had been a mere illusion, carrying only sound and visual impact without a shred of destructive force.

Yet Zhang Hao was utterly certain that the lightning just now had been genuine, striking the trunk with absolute precision and without the slightest deviation.

Indeed... this truly was the real [Heavenly Tribulation Wood]!

Capable of withstanding a strike of heavenly thunder without suffering damage—this was an authentic [Heavenly Tribulation Wood], an absolute treasure of the mountains as recorded in the [Chronicles of Mountain Wandering and Traveling].

The mountain treasure of the fox wedding had finally appeared!

At this moment, Zhang Hao thoroughly pieced together everything that had happened previously, including all the events of this day.

According to records in ancient texts, the mountain treasure accompanying a fox wedding generally manifested when the foxes were performing their wedding ceremony or partaking in the wedding banquet.

At the time, Zhang Hao had assumed that a mountain treasure would be bestowed or manifested as a result of the fox wedding.

Now, however, reflecting upon it, that notion was entirely mistaken.

To put it accurately, this mountain treasure had already existed long beforehand; it had never appeared out of thin air, nor did it manifest because of the fox wedding.

The true reason was actually the exact opposite: the existence of the mountain treasure was precisely why the fox wedding took place—the mountain treasure came first, and the fox wedding followed.

The mountain treasure had existed first, and the foxes had accidentally discovered it. Initially, perhaps for some reason, they began to worship the mountain treasure or held it in deep reverence. Over the long passage of time, this practice gradually evolved into a habit and an attitude for the foxes.

Because mountain treasures possessed inherent miraculous properties—and a mountain treasure on the level of the [Heavenly Tribulation Wood] already possessed the ability to influence its surrounding environment and living creatures—after decades or perhaps centuries of being steeped in the aura of the mountain treasure and influenced by it, the foxes slowly awakened a degree of spiritual intelligence.

And thus, the phenomenon of the fox wedding came to be.