Young Noble Be Monster Slaying
Chapter 988: The Tree of Longevity (II)

Chapter 988: The Tree of Longevity (II)

 

"You've even got a face now?!"

Di Nufeng leaped off the bow of the Vessel of God and launched her attack. Two wings of Samadhi True Fire unfurled from her back and swept through the air like blades. They sliced through and ignited the Tree of Longevity's vines and branches, sending flames racing toward the trunk.

Inside the Tree of Longevity, even the Noble Dharma feared the formidable Samadhi True Fire. He let out a blood-curdling scream and severed the flaming vines and branches, allowing the Vessel of God to break free.

Meanwhile, it looked as if countless writhing dragons had coiled around the Xuanhuang Battle Armor. Lu Jiuwai, who was still inside the armor, wrangled with the vines and branches in midair, putting in great force to pull himself away. However, the Tree of Longevity was rooted in the earth, and Lu Jiuwai could not stop himself from gradually being dragged in its direction. In a fit of rage, Lu Jiuwai executed the Thousand-Jin Drop, slamming into the ground with a boom. He planted his feet firmly in the earth, standing as immovable as a mountain.

As for the General's Supreme Constellation Disc, it shot out more rays of starlight, cutting through the myriad of green vines and branches. At the same time, Wenren Yue raised her slender hand and hurled hundreds of General's Constellation Orbs from behind the disc. They flew toward the Tree of Longevity like shooting stars, and the moment they landed, they exploded with immense force.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

The explosions shook the Tree of Longevity violently, and the Noble Dharma let out a series of furious roars.

Despite being wreathed in raging flames, the Chunyang Ancient Sword was the only legendary artifact that remained unable to break free from the vines and branches. Just as it was about to be pulled into the Noble Dharma's mouth, a beam of rainbow light descended. The Dharma Lotus Platform saved it. Any vine that touched the rainbow light was pierced through and flung aside, unable to get even within a hair's breadth of the Chunyang Ancient Sword.

The Noble Dharma had failed to seize possession of any of the legendary artifacts, but he managed to restrain most of them.

He shouted, "Attack!"

The Divine Phoenix King of the West Sea and Grand Ancestor Wuchao, who had been watching on the sidelines, soared into the air and finally joined the battle.

However, only one of them attacked the humans.

The Divine Phoenix King transformed into his blazing true form. He unleashed a huge ball of crimson-gold divine fire, striking the Tree of Longevity head-on. The Divine Phoenix Fire climbed up the branches and vines with an explosive woosh, coloring nearly half of the colossal tree in fiery hues.

The Noble Dharma bellowed, "You betrayed me!"

"I'd sooner trust the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten than trust you!" the Divine Phoenix King shouted back.

To begin with, the Divine Phoenix King was not an evil spirit or a heretical cultivator. He belonged to a proper and traditional clan of celestial beasts and had lived in peaceful seclusion in the West Sea. After being manipulated into participating in the raid on the Western Province, he concluded that the Noble Dharma could not be trusted. Furthermore, now that the Noble Dharma had risen to power, he had become truly fearsome and unpredictable.

Unlike Grand Ancestor Wuchao, the Divine Phoenix King was still in his prime and had a long life ahead of him. Even if he failed to prove his understanding of his Great Dao this time, he would still have a chance to do it in the future.

On the other hand, Grand Ancestor Wuchao could not afford to wait. The Noble Dharma was his only hope for transcending this world. Even though he felt like a human bargaining with a tiger, he had no other options left.

That was why Grand Ancestor Wuchao's dark mass surged toward the human cultivators, while the Divine Phoenix King's fire clung to the Tree of Longevity.

Of course, the Divine Phoenix King had already contacted the humans through Crown Prince Phoenix Sheep before the battle, informing them of his plan to betray the Noble Dharma.

Engulfed in the Divine Phoenix Fire, the Tree of Longevity looked like it was on the verge of collapse.

At that moment, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner unleashed another sword strike.

The Seven-Star Sword in his hand was unquestionably the second greatest legendary artifact in the mortal realm. During the years when the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda was missing, it had been the greatest in the world!

The sword strike shot toward the Tree of Longevity like a meteor streaking across the sky and struck it explosively. Divine light spread rapidly from the top of the tree to the bottom, cutting through it completely.

The others charged in with their legendary artifacts too, launching a combined assault on the Tree of Longevity, intent on finishing off the Noble Dharma inside it with one final attack!

BOOM!

With enemies closing in from all sides, the Noble Dharma appeared to have reached the end of his road.

Yet, in the very next instant, the tide of the battle shifted!

…

The battlefield centered around an oasis in the Frostveil Domain, stretching out hundreds of li beyond its borders. A vast, uninhabited section of the Desolate Wilderness had become part of the battleground. Nevertheless, the most intense fighting was concentrated at the Tree of Longevity.

All at once, dark green roots and branches burst forth across the hundreds of li surrounding them. There were millions of them. The Tree of Longevity could not have undergone such explosive growth in a mere instant. The truth was that the Tree of Longevity had been growing in this land for a very long time, so much so that its roots had spread underground all across the Frostveil Domain!

The Noble Dharma had gone to great lengths to draw everyone into the battle before unleashing this incredible attack. The seemingly endless network of branches and vines climbed toward the heavens in one explosive move!

Whoosh. Whip, whip, whip.

This time, it wasn't just the legendary artifacts that were ensnared. The branches and vines swiftly wrapped around the righteous cultivators watching from the rose-tinted clouds. Anyone in the vicinity of the battlefield was caught; not a single person managed to avoid it.

Some of them were strong enough to immediately sever the branches and vines binding them, but new ones would lash out at them the moment they broke free.

The Noble Dharma had been preparing this ambush for a long time. All the pieces were finally in place, and everything was going exactly as he had planned!

"Haah!" Di Nufeng uttered as she broke free of the branches and vines.

She was the first to get rid of the restraints, which was no surprise. The Samadhi True Fire she was cloaked in made it impossible for the branches and vines to maintain a hold on her.

After breaking free, the first thing she did was conjure a fire cloud from her hands. Samadhi True Fire rained down, setting ablaze every vine and branch it touched. Yet, the damage she dealt was just a drop in the sea of vines and branches.

It was terrifying. The Tree of Longevity had taken over the vast domain, turning it into the Noble Dharma's little world. It was a forested realm from which there was no escape!

The Noble Dharma's large-scale immobilization technique had subdued practically everyone. Now, he only needed seconds to kill everyone. After all, with the power of the East Sea Chrono Wheel, time flowed at a vastly different pace for him. 

The Noble Dharma appeared in his usual form and locked onto the person nearest to him. He approached the Divine Phoenix King first.

Whoosh.

"You once had a chance to transcend with me. But sadly, you're far too foolish," the Noble Dharma said flatly.

The Divine Phoenix King's crimson-gold eyes took on a pleading gaze, begging the Noble Dharma to spare him. Nevertheless, it was useless. The vines and branches wrapped around the Divine Phoenix King creaked and tightened. 

The Noble Dharma pressed his hand onto the Divine Phoenix King's forehead.

Crack!

The Divine Phoenix King's skull shattered, and the fire clouds overhead vanished instantly.

That was the first death of a being on the brink of ascending to the ninth realm.

…

After leaving the Divine Ruins, Chu Liang successfully revived Tuntun on the way to the battlefield in the Northern Regions. Then, as he neared the battlefield, he received a message from Chu Yi.

[Chu Yi]: "The Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten launched a joint attack on the Noble Dharma, but it's useless. They can't kill him! The Dao Master of Longevity is pretty much immortal. To kill the Immortal Demon, the Noble Dharma's only weakness must be destroyed! And only I know what that weakness is."

Chu Liang was a little surprised that Chu Yi reached out to him. He had thought the rascal would firmly side with the Noble Dharma for the sake of his ambition.

It seems he still has some shred of conscience left after all.

Chu Yi had previously sent Chu Liang many greetings and attempts at conversation, but Chu Liang had never responded to any of them. However, this time, he finally replied.

[Chu Liang]: "What is the Immortal Demon's weakness?"

[Chu Yi]: "Hehe, Senior Brother, you finally replied to me."

[Chu Yi]: "The Immortal Demon's weakness lies in the Tree of Longevity itself. That's the true source of his immortality. It's the essence of the Great Dao of Yang Wood."

Chu Liang was about to praise Chu Yi when he looked up and saw something in the distance. It was a terrifyingly massive and towering forest that spanned hundreds of li and blocked out the sky, trapping numerous powerful cultivators within. That was the Tree of Longevity.

The sight left him utterly stunned.

Anyone else who saw that would be stunned too.

[Chu Liang]: "Wait, you mean that entire thing is the Tree of Longevity?"

[Chu Yi]: "That's right. Destroy the Tree of Longevity, and you can defeat the Dao Master of Longevity."

[Chu Liang]: "Does that thing look like it can be destroyed? Wouldn't I need at least half a year to chop it down?"

[Chu Yi]: "That's because the Noble Dharma is using his divine abilities. Once you defeat him, it will be possible."

[Chu Liang]: "So, I need to defeat the Dao Master of Longevity to destroy the Tree of Longevity?"

[Chu Yi]: "Correct."

[Chu Liang]: "And I need to destroy the Tree of Longevity to defeat the Dao Master of Longevity?"

[Chu Yi]: "That's right."

[Chu Liang]: "Screw you."