The strange beast spat out a bead from its mouth, emanating a green glow that illuminated the surroundings in a emerald hue. It wasn't the bead itself that glowed, but something inside it—like a green dragon swimming within. It was the green dragon's radiance that lit up the area.
Xiong Xiyu's expression shifted slightly upon seeing the green light, and she quickly turned her head. "My True Heaven Palace's Green Dragon Pearl!"
Qin Mu looked back to see the bead had grown to over ten feet in diameter. The green dragon inside became clearer, swimming joyfully within. The flower maidens charging toward Yu Bochuan and his group were illuminated by the green light and suddenly turned to wood, becoming rigid sculptures frozen in mid-air.
Popping sounds emanated from their bodies as green sprouts quickly emerged from the petrified women, then branches sprouted forth, adorning them in lush greenery.
The tendrils behind them—the Root Demon's roots—also turned to hard wood, immobilized.
Yu Bochuan led his group forward, and the horned ape beast clutching the bead above its head followed closely. Wherever the bead's light shone, more flower maidens were frozen in place, each in a different pose, none identical.
"Green Dragon Pearl?"
Qin Mu was slightly stunned. A bead that could counter such a monster as the Root Demon was indeed an extraordinary treasure!
"Our True Heaven Palace's sacred treasure has been stolen by them too!"
Xiong Xiyu snorted coldly and reached out with her hand from a distance. The beast felt the Green Dragon Pearl suddenly lift from its grasp and panicked, leaping onto the pearl to hold it down.
Several Celestial Being realm experts beside Yu Bochuan also erupted with their vital energy, powering the Green Dragon Pearl to contest with Xiong Xiyu. The pearl floated in midair, both sides locked in a brief stalemate, each trying to control the sacred treasure.
The two white bats immediately turned to fly over, their bodies spinning in midair. Countless strands of fine fur shot out toward Yu Bochuan and his group, attempting to help seize the treasure.
In the blink of an eye, both white bats were completely bare. Their fur had been refined into a miraculous treasure—needle-like strands that, if they hit a target, would become extremely soft and burrow into the body, causing instant death!
Meanwhile, Dragon Qilin shook his body, the dragon scales on his surface spinning like incredibly sharp shields, whistling through the air as they cut toward Yu Bochuan and his group!
Dragon Qilin was now completely clean, bare-chested and bare-bottomed, with only a bit of Qilin fur remaining on the tip of his tail and the top of his large head.
Xiong Xiyu's face drained of color. "Don't attack!" she hastily cried.
Before she finished speaking, the fine fur shot by the two white bats was illuminated by the Green Dragon Pearl's green light and instantly petrified, falling to the ground with a rustling sound.
The white bats tried to recall their fur but had lost all connection to it. The two brothers stood dumbfounded, arms crossed, at a complete loss.
Dragon Qilin's scales also petrified in an instant, turning into wooden shields that clattered to the ground. The fat dragon was left staring blankly, his belly now resting on the ground. Previously, his scales had covered his stomach, preventing it from sagging too much. Now without them, the excess flesh on his belly drooped uncontrollably.
"Cult Master..."
Dragon Qilin was completely at a loss, quickly turning his head to look at Qin Mu standing on his back.
Qin Mu had originally intended to command his Eight Thousand Swords to attack, but seeing this, he immediately held back.
The True Heaven Palace's Green Dragon Pearl was truly unpredictable. Although Dragon Qilin's cultivation hadn't reached the Celestial Being realm, his strength was nearly comparable, with his tough skin and thick hide.
During the earlier battle at Tianbo City, when the Doutian Demon King's incarnation descended and fought fiercely with the Dragon King, the shockwaves had grazed Dragon Qilin's backside, only breaking through his scales without causing serious injury—demonstrating the formidable defense of his dragon scales.
And the two white bats were even stronger, absolutely at the peak of the Celestial Being realm, with their fine fur being something they rarely used.
Who could have imagined that their treasures would petrify upon encountering the Green Dragon Pearl's green light, losing all control?
If Qin Mu's Eight Thousand Swords were to fly over, the only sword that might not petrify would be the Carefree Sword, while all the other flying swords would turn to wood.
Xiong Xiyu grunted softly, her magical power unable to match Yu Bochuan and his group. She couldn't seize the pearl, and the Green Dragon Pearl flew toward Yu Bochuan's side. Just then, the earth suddenly shook violently, and countless roots surged from underground, filling the sky. They rustled as they formed an enormous black wooden cocoon, encasing the Green Dragon Pearl before dragging it underground.
Xiong Xiyu and Yu Bochuan's group were caught off guard. Neither side had time to retrieve the pearl before the Root Demon had already seized it!
Yu Bochuan's voice rang out sharply: "The Green Dragon Pearl is our True Heaven Palace's treasure, containing the sealed true soul of the green dragon! This old monster cannot consume it!"
Suddenly, the tremors from underground intensified. Everyone staggered as the earth beneath their feet continued to rise, as if some colossal creature was drilling upward from below.
BOOM—
Soil and stones burst in all directions as a surge of green vitality erupted from underground, lifting them higher and higher. Dragon Qilin hastily leaped aside as the canopy of an enormous tree, spanning dozens of acres, emerged from the earth, rising up beside them.
The two white bats quickly flew up, then remembered their bare state and hurriedly covered their lower bodies with their hands before tumbling down into the dense foliage.
The two white bats were momentarily stunned to find that this great tree was still growing wildly, its canopy expanding and its trunk extending ever upward. Before long, they saw white clouds drifting past the edges of the canopy.
The air grew increasingly cold, and the sunlight more intense. The two white bats began to have difficulty breathing and hastily flew upward, then dove down through the canopy.
Only then did they realize the journey was long—the canopy was incredibly vast and thick. Despite their speed, it took considerable time to fly through it.
Once clear of the canopy, they found themselves high above a dizzying void. A trunk of immense thickness towered far above the surrounding mountains!
The two white bats quickly flew downward, and after a moment, they finally saw the ground.
Meanwhile, the great tree continued to emit rumbling vibrations. At intervals, countless branches would suddenly sprout, forming a second, third, and fourth layer of canopy.
The two white bats dodged repeatedly as thunder suddenly crackled across the sky, bolts of lightning striking back and forth, followed by a drizzling rain.
When they finally landed, the two white bats hastily covered themselves and looked around, not seeing Qin Mu or the others—only the mountain-like trunk blocking their view.
The ground continued to crack apart, revealing massive root systems as thick as dragons, crackling as they extended wildly into the distance, even wrapping tightly around several mountain peaks far away.
Above them, the sunlight had been completely blotted out, leaving little illumination.
The Bat brothers flew onto the tree trunk and scurried along its surface, searching for Qin Mu and the others.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the lowest canopy layer as aerial roots dangled down, swaying back and forth, each bearing a large flower bud.
"This should be the Root Demon's true form, I suppose?" Qin Mu's voice came from below. Fu Yuqiu and Fu Yuchun quickly crawled along the tree, and upon seeing Qin Mu and Dragon Qilin, they sighed in relief. They leaped down from the tree, using their wings to cover their bodies to avoid indecency.
Qin Mu looked up at the colossal wooden form the Root Demon had become, his heart filled with awe. He stepped forward and peeled open one of the hanging flower buds.
As the bud opened, a young woman hung down inside, motionless, arms limp.
The girl weakly opened her eyes, glanced at Qin Mu, and said in a faint voice: "Heavenly Sage Cult Master..."
Qin Mu gently closed the girl's eyes, but she opened them again, glaring at him fiercely.
Qin Mu then went to open the other flower buds, each containing an inverted young woman—the strange fruit of the Root Demon at Withered Ridge. These weren't independent lives; the girls were merely part of the Root Demon's body.
"The Root Demon was just a mass of roots that became a great demon after absorbing the blood of gods and demons. It had no tree form, but now it has absorbed the Green Dragon Pearl's energy and grown a tree body. I fear it has become even more terrifying."
Qin Mu said with concern: "We must leave this place immediately!"
The Bat brothers spotted some of their fur on the ground, no longer in a petrified state, and rejoiced. They shook their bodies to collect the fur.
Dragon Qilin also shook his body, gathering his restored dragon scales.
Xiong Xiyu shook her head: "The Green Dragon Pearl contains the true soul of the green dragon. This great demon cannot absorb it. It's likely being controlled by the energy within the pearl, unable to move. If we find the pearl it swallowed, we can turn the tide and eliminate these traitors like Yu Bochuan!"
Xiong Qier asked curiously: "Mother, after we remove the Green Dragon Pearl, will the Root Demon come back to life?"
Xiong Xiyu shuddered. Currently, the Green Dragon Pearl was suppressing the Root Demon. If they removed it and the Root Demon regained its mobility, they would be in danger again.
Suddenly, a voice rang out: "Young Master, the Green Dragon Pearl is here!"
Qin Mu's face changed drastically: "No good! We can't let them dig out the Green Dragon Pearl!"
They hurried toward the voice and saw Yu Bochuan and the other True Heaven Palace experts looking at a section of the tree trunk. Inside, a green glow shimmered like jade, illuminating an area of several acres.
Clearly, the Root Demon of Withered Ridge had swallowed the Green Dragon Pearl, and the terrifying power within had instantly petrified it, causing roots to grow into a tree body that pinned it to the spot, with its roots also hardened and immobile.
"Don't remove the Green Dragon Pearl! If you do, this great demon will regain its freedom, and none of us will survive!"
After speaking, Yu Bochuan turned to look at Qin Mu and the others, frowning slightly. His companions immediately took defensive positions around him.
Qin Mu smiled: "Greetings, fellow disciples. Can your True Heaven Palace's techniques still function here? If not, then we shall have to send you on your way."
Yu Bochuan's figure suddenly flickered to the location of the green light. He thrust his hand into the tree trunk, sneering: "Heavenly Sage Cult Master, if we die, we die together... What a pleasant scent. What's that smell?"
Just as he spoke, the world seemed to spin, and he collapsed with a thud.
"The scent of Lost-Fragrance Incense," Qin Mu said with a smile.
Thud, thud—the members of the True Heaven Palace fell to the ground one after another, leaving only the three Celestial Being realm experts still standing. Their faces flushed red as they suppressed the Lost-Fragrance Incense, but their usable magical power was limited.
Suddenly, a woman's voice came, laughing: "Lost-Fragrance Incense, is it a type of anesthesia? Let me smell it!"
Xiong Xiyu's face changed dramatically, while the three Celestial Being realm experts looked overjoyed.
"The Poison Master!"
"Mu Yingxue!"
Qin Mu turned toward the voice to see a woman in black attire adorned with gold and silver jewelry and wearing a jade crown, walking among the women dangling from the aerial roots. Wherever she passed, the flower maidens withered and crumbled into ash that fell to the ground.
Qin Mu took out a jade vial and tossed it over, saying with a smile: "It is anesthesia. Take a whiff."