Volume One: The Emperor’s Sword Chapter 36: The Tree Demon

"Flower Spirit Root?"

Yun Que was astonished by the news Zhou Yuanliang revealed.

Mu Qingyao actually possessed a rare Spirit Root! And not just any spirit root, but one of the most uncommon among them—the botanical kind, known as the Flower Spirit Root.

The Flower Spirit Root granted its bearer an innate and acute sensitivity to the aura of flora, allowing her to easily track down spiritual herbs and flowers in perilous places. She also had exceptional prowess when it came to consuming medicinal pills.

A single pill taken by someone with a Flower Spirit Root could equal the effect of two, three, or even more for others! After all, the majority of ingredients in pill-crafting came from various spiritual flowers and herbs, which naturally benefited the Flower Spirit Root.

Exotic Spirit Roots were not unheard of in the cultivation world.

For instance, the newly joined Sword Hall disciple with the Thunder Spirit Root possessed such a rare root—a number of sects had a few disciples with these unusual attributes.

But the Flower Spirit Root was truly rare.

It was akin to the ultimate tracking device, a veritable harvester of spiritual materials!

No wonder Zhou Yuanliang had so confidently promised their expedition to Misty Mountain would be fruitful. It turned out they had a Flower Spirit Root leading the way.

Upon learning of Mu Qingyao’s rare root, Yun Que felt a heavy weight settle in his heart.

He glanced at Luo Xiaoyu, who was busy slicing bark, then looked over at Mu Qingyao, who stood at a distance with her flying sword hovering behind her.

In that instant, Yun Que felt a chill crawl over his scalp.

A powerful sense of danger surged within him.

Luo Xiaoyu’s constitution repelled by the vines, yet Mu Qingyao was likely the very existence the vines coveted!

Otherwise, why had the vines singled her out when she led the ascent, dragging her underground at any cost to trap her within the mountain’s depths?

In stark contrast to Luo Xiaoyu, the mysterious vines of Misty Mountain were eager to devour Mu Qingyao!

More precisely, they desired to consume the Flower Spirit Root.

Suddenly, Yun Que dashed forward, reaching Mu Qingyao in a few strides, grabbing her arm and urgently retreating backward.

Mu Qingyao initially intended to pull her hand away—there were so many watching, how improper—but when she saw the gravity in his expression, she instantly understood the seriousness of the situation and cooperated in retreating.

No explanation was needed; in that moment, their minds were as one.

No sooner had they retreated a dozen paces than the ground at their feet burst open, and a massive cluster of emerald-green vines erupted from beneath the earth!

The sudden emergence of the vines whipped up a gust, scattering the dense mist around them.

Before everyone’s eyes, the green vines twisted and entwined, forming a tree over three fathoms tall!

Its canopy was lush and verdant, like a gigantic umbrella, casting a shadow over a vast stretch of ground.

The trunk was thick enough for two to encircle with their arms.

Tubular roots extended from the bark, connecting to corpses—some human, some beast—constantly writhing and twisting.

These were its prey,

Like insects caught in a spider’s web; some reduced to empty husks, others still bearing scraps of flesh and blood—a nauseating sight.

A low hum resounded...

All the leaves on the green tree shuddered simultaneously, producing a wailing wind that made ears throb with pain.

Wu Dachuan clutched his head, while his little dog, Wangcai, did the same, shivering in terror.

Though Zhou Yuanliang and Luo Xiaoyu remained standing, both had trembling knees and faces pale as death.

It was the oppressive aura of a powerful beast.

The threat of a natural enemy.

A demon’s coercive might!

“Tree Demon…”

Yun Que murmured in a low, solemn voice, his pupils narrowing to pinpoints.

He had guessed right.

There was indeed a mighty botanical spirit in Misty Mountain—the so-called treasures were merely bait, luring cultivators and demon beasts alike to their doom!

“At least third rank,” Mu Qingyao said gravely.

Aside from the first rank, which corresponded to the Qi Refining stage, the early, middle, and late stages of Foundation Establishment each aligned with the second, third, and fourth ranks of demon beasts.

Though the Tree Demon belonged to the plant-based spirits, it followed the same ranking system as the demon clans.

A third-rank Tree Demon was as threatening as a cultivator at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage!

Of all present, only Mu Qingyao had the highest cultivation, yet she was still at Qi Refining. Against a third-rank Tree Demon, they stood no chance—even if they fought with everything they had.

Mu Qingyao quickly scanned the dozen or so remaining trees, summoned her flying sword, and declared resolutely,

“Rescue the others. I’ll hold off the Tree Demon.”

There was no need for Luo Xiaoyu to chop trees alone now—the Tree Demon had awakened, and stealth was no longer a concern.

Yun Que didn’t let go but continued dragging Mu Qingyao rapidly in one direction.

“Lead it away.”

He uttered only three words, but Mu Qingyao instantly understood.

She now suspected the Tree Demon’s target was indeed herself, so she followed Yun Que, fleeing swiftly down the mountain.

Sure enough,

As the two escaped, the Tree Demon ignored Zhou Yuanliang, Wu Dachuan, and the others, churning up earth and stone as it dragged its prey after them.

A deep furrow was left in its wake.

Once the Tree Demon vanished into the distant mist, Zhou Yuanliang and the others finally snapped out of their daze.

“Let’s… let’s run for our lives!” Wu Dachuan stammered in fright.

“Save the others first; let’s work together!” Zhou Yuanliang, still relatively composed, hurriedly began felling trees to free the trapped.

With the Tree Demon lured away, the rest could chop trees without fear—there would be no more sudden attacks from the vines, at least for now.

One by one, the strange trees were felled, revealing the South Hall disciples within. Most were female, many still alive, though a few had perished.

Those who died were the weaker disciples, unable to hold out until the end.

Zhou Yuanliang crouched beside one corpse, gently closing her eyes.

She was a young female disciple, her features still soft with baby fat, a hint of innocence on her face—lovely, yet utterly lifeless now.

In that moment, Zhou Yuanliang’s usual frivolity vanished, his expression clouded and grim.

His knuckles whitened as he clenched his fist and struck the ground hard.

Before him lay the liveliest junior sister of the South Hall; Zhou Yuanliang used to tease her for fun, making her flee in bashful annoyance.

Now, that shy junior sister would never return.

Life and death now separated them forever.

“The mountain wind is cold. Elder brother will take you home.”

Zhou Yuanliang lifted the cold body and headed down the mountain, his figure bleak and solitary. The surviving South Hall disciples supported one another, following behind.

This Misty Mountain expedition had cost the South Hall dearly.

On the other slope of the mountain.

Yun Que and Mu Qingyao alternated between running and flying on their swords, moving at breakneck speed.

Behind them, the Tree Demon pursued relentlessly, the gap between them shrinking rapidly.

Though it had neither arms nor legs, the Tree Demon’s speed was astonishing—it was nearly upon them!

They passed over a flat expanse, where a large rock jutted from the ground.

Yun Que and Mu Qingyao suddenly veered aside, skirting the rock.

The chasing Tree Demon had no time to change direction, charging straight over the stone.

With a series of crisp slicing sounds, nine flying swords—set in advance—gouged deep grooves into the Tree Demon’s roots, spraying green sap everywhere.

Its speed carried it forward, embedding all nine swords into its body.

A sharp screech erupted!

Writhing in pain, the Tree Demon thrashed wildly, trying to rid itself of the embedded blades.

With so many weapons lodged within, it was clearly in agony.

Now was the moment!

Yun Que and Mu Qingyao switched from defense to offense, launching a joint assault.

Mu Qingyao’s Flower Spirit Sword became a dazzling streak of light, instantly carving over a dozen gashes into the leafy canopy, sending branches crashing down.

Yun Que drew his treasured Serpent Sword, charged in close, and hacked fiercely at the trunk, sending bark and vine-leaves flying.

There was no holding back now; both unleashed their full strength, using the trap’s advantage to gravely wound the Tree Demon.

Yun Que seized the chance to cut down several of the corpses the Tree Demon was feeding on.

These corpses shared a common trait: each had a black, egg-sized stone embedded somewhere on their bodies.

Much like the one Zhou Yuanliang had found earlier—more than twenty in all.

These stones, condensed from the Tree Demon’s prey over untold years, must be incredibly valuable.

Just as the stones were stowed away, a sudden gale arose, blowing Yun Que and Mu Qingyao backward.

By the time they regained their footing, the Tree Demon before them had changed shape.

Its form, once tree-like, now twisted and writhed, morphing into a colossal hand!

At the same moment, a deep, guttural roar echoed from the mountaintop, and a terrifying shadow emerged from the mist to confront Yun Que and Mu Qingyao.

It was a giant tree, ten fathoms tall, its trunk bulging with eye-like lanterns, its cracked bark forming a ghastly maw, and its emerald canopy shrouding half of Misty Mountain.

This was the Tree Demon’s true body!

So, the so-called Tree Demon they’d faced before was merely a single hand of the monster!