Free Web NovelChapter 142: Chapter 141: Slaying the Pumo Tree (Part 1)
The world lost its color and the sun and moon dimmed. Countless living beings were forced to the ground by the force of that single strike! The Emperor’s Ring blocked the attack from the Emperor’s Saber, but with a CLANG, a crack appeared on the ring. Only a faint wisp of Emperor Essence remained, sheltering Celestial Emperor Qingxuan and Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist.
SHHHIIIIIII— In that instant, having lost the protection of the Emperor Essence, Elder Guan and the other powerhouses were immediately attacked by the Demon Roots.
"Go!" Celestial Emperor Qingxuan had no time to worry about others. He had fought with great difficulty to create an opening; any more hesitation and he would die right here. With a great roar, he clutched the ring and led Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist, charging out of the Heaven and Earth Net and instantly breaking free.
Celestial Emperor Qingxuan didn’t dare to linger for even a moment. He took Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist and instantly streaked across the sky, fleeing toward the entrance. Upon reaching the Stone Sect, he didn’t even look back, immediately charging through it and escaping Demon’s Back Ridge.
Celestial Emperor Qingxuan was decisive and resolute, truly possessing the bearing of a hegemon. Had he hesitated for even a moment longer, even if he hadn’t died to the Demon Roots, he would have been killed by Li Qiye.
This time, Celestial Emperor Qingxuan had only brought a single Emperor’s Ring. Now, it held only a very faint trace of Emperor Essence. Unwilling to gamble his last sliver of life-saving Emperor Essence on the fight, he fled immediately.
But Elder Guan and the others, who had lost the protection of the Emperor Essence, were not so lucky. They were instantly swarmed by the besieging Demon Roots.
"AHHH—" Blood-curdling screams rose and fell. One after another, the powerhouses fell, including the True Masters who had accompanied Celestial Emperor Qingxuan. Under the relentless assault of the Demon Roots, fewer and fewer Cultivator Strongmen remained alive.
"OPEN!" At this life-or-death moment, Elder Guan, being an Ancient Saint, could no longer restrain himself. With a furious roar, he instantly broke his seal. Immediately, the Blood Qi of an Ancient Saint surged to the heavens, and an Ancient Saint’s might swept across the land for thousands of miles. Elder Guan was an incomparably powerful Ancient Saint. The moment he broke his body’s seal, he became like a raging flood or a savage beast, rampaging unstoppably. In one go, he severed the Demon Roots around him and prepared to flee.
CRACKLE— However, before Elder Guan could escape through the opening in the Heaven and Earth Net, a bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky, accompanied by the rumble of thunder.
BANG! The lightning struck Elder Guan. As an Ancient Saint, his body went rigid on the spot. Then, he violently spurted blood and fell ramrod straight to the ground, dead.
"I told you to be careful of the Emperor’s Punishment." Li Qiye watched this unfold and commented leisurely, "Did you really think the Mingren Immortal Emperor’s warning was just empty words? If the suppression of an Immortal Emperor was meaningless, then there would be no such thing as invincible Emperor’s Power."
Only those below the level of an Ancient Saint could enter Demon’s Back Ridge. This wasn’t just a warning! If someone were to suppress their Dao Practice to get in, and then unleash their true strength inside, they would bring down the Emperor’s Punishment upon themselves!
"AHHH—" At last, even the final cultivator fell to the Demon Roots. From start to finish, with the sole exception of Celestial Emperor Qingxuan and Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist who escaped with their lives, everyone who had come to seize the treasure died a miserable death here.
"Sigh. They just wouldn’t believe me. I did say it: I will kill anyone who stands in my way." Li Qiye said with unhurried calm.
As for Li Shuangyan and Niu Fen, they were already numb to it; they had long grown accustomed to Li Qiye’s uncanny ways. Chen Baojiao and her old servant, however, couldn’t help but feel a chill run down their spines.
From start to finish, Li Qiye had hardly lifted a finger. And yet, in just a short time, tens of thousands of cultivators had been slaughtered. Even more terrifying, their ranks had included King and Marquis True Masters, and even an Ancient Saint!
"The stump of the Pumo Tree is staring at us!" Li Shuangyan whispered to Li Qiye.
By now, the Pumo Tree had grown an incredible amount—it was at least twice as large as before. The stump was thicker and bigger, and it had sprouted even more roots and tendrils, while its older appendages had become even more massive.
The pair of dark eyes on the Pumo Tree’s stump stared at Li Qiye’s group. Its countless roots whipped through the air like a demon’s tentacles. At the same time, the Demonic Qi it was siphoning from the sky-piercing bone spikes swirled around its body, seemingly making it even more powerful.
The sight of the Pumo Tree was now terrifying. Countless massive roots danced wildly in the air, its entire form wreathed in Demonic Qi. It looked like a Demon that had crawled out of Hell, and anyone who saw it would shiver in fear.
The Pumo Tree’s dark eyes remained fixed on Li Qiye’s group, its gaze as unsettling as that of a viper watching its prey from the shadows.
"If you submit to me now, you might still have a chance to live. Otherwise, you will be reduced to dust." While the Pumo Tree’s terrifying gaze fell upon the group, only Li Qiye remained calm and composed. He smiled at the Pumo Tree and spoke.
At this, not just Chen Baojiao, but even Niu Fen and the others were horrified. After all, the Pumo Tree before them could kill even an Ancient Saint—what chance would they have?
SHHHIIIIIII— The Pumo Tree’s answer was simple. Instantly, countless roots shot forward like furious arrows. Their power was terrifying, tearing through the Void at more than twice their previous speed.
"It absorbed a massive amount of Essence Blood and Demon Blood. It’s even stronger now!" Niu Fen exclaimed in shock as the Pumo Tree attacked again.
CLANK—CLANK—CLANK— In that same instant, like prison chains snapping shut, thick strands of Law suddenly bound all of the Pumo Tree’s roots, including its stump. These Laws were like Divine Chains; once they were locked, breaking free was impossible!
All the roots attacking Li Qiye’s group were instantly locked in place. The Pumo Tree was horrified. In that moment, it sensed a terrifying threat, and a primal fear welled up from the depths of its soul.
CLANK—CLANK—CLANK— The sound of dragging chains echoed. In that instant, the Dao Platform tilted upwards, erupting with endless runic light. Countless runes shot out, weaving together to form a Chapter Order that transformed into a massive black hole, seemingly capable of devouring the entire universe.
The Law Divine Chains binding the Pumo Tree now intertwined with the black hole’s Talisman Rune Order, like threads being stitched into fabric. The Talisman Rune Order then began to pull on the Law Divine Chains, dragging the Pumo Tree and all its roots toward the black hole on the Dao Platform. Once inside, it would be instantly devoured and pulverized!
"Wh-what is this?" Chen Baojiao couldn’t help but ask in astonishment, seeing the Pumo Tree and all its roots instantly locked in place.
"The Demon Blood was refined. It’s not just Demon Blood anymore, it’s Law," Niu Fen said, his voice filled with awe as he realized the truth. "The entire Dao Platform is a trap!"
Li Qiye, however, simply watched the bound Pumo Tree being dragged toward the black hole. He smiled leisurely and said, "Did you really think your Ancestral Blood would be left here for you to feast on? A pity you’re not smart enough."
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM— The Pumo Tree’s roots thrashed and whipped about in a frenzy, trying to break free from the prison of Law. But no matter how wildly it struggled, it could not escape its bonds.
This was a trap left behind by the Blood Seal Immortal Emperor, later reinforced by the Mingren Immortal Emperor. Once caught, the Pumo Tree’s only fate was death!
Back when they killed the Pumo Tree, Li Qiye, in his form as the Yin Ya, knew that the tree could be resurrected as long as a single rootlet remained in the earth. That was why he and the Blood Seal Immortal Emperor left behind the Demon Blood they obtained from slaying it.
They sealed the Demon Blood within the Dao Platform. As such, the platform became the ultimate lure for any surviving roots buried deep underground. As its Ancestral Blood, the Demon Blood was what those roots would crave above all else.
And so, for millions of years, any surviving roots in the ground would be unable to resist their craving for the Demon Blood. They would inevitably draw near, hoping to absorb it and grow stronger, only to be devoured and killed by the Dao Platform.
In fact, over millions of years, this Dao Platform had already killed countless tiny rootlets. Yet, one root somehow managed to resist the craving for Demon Blood. It kept growing, eventually forming a stump and becoming a formidable existence, all while evading the Dao Platform’s lethal trap.
This time, Li Qiye had released all of the Demon Blood. The Pumo Tree stump finally succumbed to the temptation and absorbed the Demon Blood from the Dao Platform. Once it consumed the blood, it was no different from a fish that had taken the bait!
SHHHVVP— One by one, thick roots were dragged into the Dao Platform’s black hole. Once inside, they were instantly pulverized and devoured, turning to ash in a flash.
"SCREEE! SCREEE! SCREEE!" The Pumo Tree stump shrieked wildly, thrashing with all its might, but it still couldn’t break free from the chains of Law.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM— The Pumo Tree’s roots frantically burrowed deep into the earth, trying to anchor themselves to resist the black hole’s pull. But it was useless. Even as the ground was torn up and shattered, it could not withstand the force dragging it in.
"It’s no use," Li Qiye said with a smile, watching the Pumo Tree’s death throes. "This trap was reinforced by two Immortal Emperors. Unless you can regain your former power, all your struggles are futile."
SHHH— The Pumo Tree’s ghastly eyes suddenly turned cold. Its roots instantly stopped resisting and transformed into countless furious arrows, shooting toward Li Qiye at extreme speed. The tree had figured Li Qiye was controlling the Dao Platform and sought to kill him to break free.
GULP—GULP—GULP— However, before the roots could even reach Li Qiye, the Dao Platform’s black hole opened like a giant maw and devoured them all.
"Trying to kill me?" Li Qiye couldn’t help but laugh. "You’re still far too green. When it comes to petty tricks, you’re no match for me."
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