Nobody had expected that, before one fight was even over, another one would crop up.
Before the investigations on the corpses that appeared within the sect could be concluded, the junior disciples and an elder in Early-stage Liberation who had gone out to collect resources were captured by demons!
Only one disciple returned to convey the message. However, that disciple was also close to death. He had fled back to the sect hastily and dropped dead at the sect's entrance.
"Zhige, Zhige, wake up! Get a hold of yourself! What happened? What has the elder run into?!"
For a while, the disciples of the Empyrean Sword Sect were desperately funneling their spiritual energy into that disciple to keep him alive.
Mu Zhige was on the verge of death.
"Demon… roots…"
Before he could finish a complete sentence, his head dropped to the side and he fell to the ground…
He was no longer breathing.
For a moment, everyone shivered helplessly. A Demon tree?
One that could capture even an elder at Early-stage Liberation?
They had heard from elders that demons could absorb the vital essence of humans, allowing them to continue to grow stronger and even grow eerie powers!
"Tell the Sect Lord about this as soon as possible!"
However, at that moment, out of everyone's sight, a black shadow shot forward in an instant.
Amid the murky dark mist, a figure was moving at extremely fast speeds. Shen Changge was not looking too good.
He had received the news early in the morning, and after he went to check in at various places, he immediately rushed back. He even unleashed his Move Technique to the extreme and made a trip to the Sol Sword Sect to make sure that nothing had gone wrong.
"Check-in Success"
"Assaulting Art: Falling Sun, Cultivation Base *Three years."
With three years, he reached Entry level with the Falling Sun technique. As the ability was a Truth Return level Assaulting Art, even at Entry level, Shen Changge realized that it was likely much stronger than the Assaulting Art: Scarlet Lightning that he already owned!
Whether Move Technique or Sword Art, all abilities classified as Truth Return were on a whole new level. They were simply unsurpassable.
After one round of check-ins today, Shen Changge had acquired a lot of things.
Cultivation Base *500 years.
Empyrean Sword Manual Cultivation Base *100 years.
Styling Art: Ink Flow.
His Simulation secret technique, Rebirth, had also reached Entry level.
What was worth mentioning was that Shen Changge had acquired a 500-year Cultivation Base. In fact, in regards to his original state, 500 years' worth of cultivation was nothing. After one broke into Liberation Stage, attaining breakthroughs would become harder and harder. 500 years of cultivation may be nothing more than a flick of a finger on the long journey of transcendency. However, Shen Changge did acquire an Enlightening Pill in advance!
After Shen Changge learned that his junior sister had been captured, he immediately consumed the Enlightening Pill to improve his aptitude. He remembered that when he extended his fingers back then, there was a silver thread at the base of his middle finger that extended to his first knuckle.
Silver-level Aptitude!
At first, Shen Changge had not seemed to have the thread at all, not to mention one of that color.
This time, when Shen Changge fused with 500 years of cultivation, his Cultivation Base had directly risen to Late-stage Liberation!
Yes.
He bypassed one entire stage!
Therefore, being certain that nothing could go wrong right now, he decided to rescue his junior sister, who was kind and gentle.
And most importantly, if his junior sister was gone, who would wash his clothes?
Aside from junior sister, who else has the patience to wash every piece of my clothes so well that it seems as though they are brand-new?
Someone in a white shirt with a sword at their back. That was what a true hero would look like!
At that moment, Shen Changge stepped into the dark mist. All the demons lurking in the dark mist were pressed to the ground by his aura. They do not have the courage to raise their heads at all. He was like a giant demon walking in the dark mist.
…
Amid the murky fog, five people's complexions paled. The surrounding dark mist was getting thicker and thicker. Underneath the gloomy depression, it rendered them breathless.
They looked around warily.
"Elder, can you sense what is at the origin of these roots?" Mo Qingchen could not help but ask.
"I can't... that demon had gone deep under the ground. I can't find it at all..."
The elder's face looked awful. Even he was a little flustered at that moment.
But at that very moment, clap!
All of a sudden, a massive tree root emerged from the ground. The roots twitched violently and even shot sparks into the air. With thunderous momentum, it whooshed towards the back of one disciple!
"It is death that you seek!"
Mo Qingchen, who was standing beside that disciple, sensed the attack before anyone. Steaming with anger, he drew his sword, triggered the Empyrean Sword Manual's Riding Sword Section, and flew over on his Riding Sword!
Beside him, Lin Qingxian was wearing a white robe that had been smeared with some dirt. However, her immaculate temperament, like that of pure flowers competing to bloom, could not be concealed. Her attire was conservative and her coat was tightly fastened but it still could not contain how extraordinary she was. Instead, the tightness added a little bit of charm to her, which seemed in contrast with her pure and delicate face.
At that moment, her tiny face was strained as she abruptly held her palms together.
"Riding Art: Blade Fortress!"
Ka-boom!
The light of her sword immediately condensed into a Swordlight barrier on the back of the disciple that was under attack.
Clang!
Mo Qingchen's sword left only a small mark on the tree root. A series of sparks rippled outward. The terrifying power from the root shook him so hard that the webbing on his hand began to bleed!
"D*mn it!" Mo Qingchen bellowed. Even with his Cultivation Base of Middle-stage Qi Bending, he could not cut through the surface of those roots!
Boom!
In an instant, Lin Qingxian's Blade Fortress shattered. The technique did not stall the attack at all!
Lin Qingxian's face abruptly turned pale.
At the next moment!
"Ah!"
All of a sudden, following a miserable scream, the disciple's body exploded due to the whipping attack. Blood spurted wildly as his body was torn apart and blown away!
"Ahhhh!" The elder became enraged. He had found the demon!
As soon as he unsheathed his Assaulting Blade behind his back, the atmosphere trembled!
"Assaulting Art: Skyfall!"
This was an Entry-level technique of the Empyrean Sword Manual's Assaulting Sword Section, and also a Truth Return level Assaulting Art.
It was extremely precious.
However, unfortunately, it was not complete. What's more, this was also the only Assaulting Art in the Empyrean Sword Manual that the Empyrean Sword Sect had mastery over.
At that moment, the Assaulting Sword rose into the air then immediately plummeted while stirring up massive amounts of energy. It was all-encompassing, massive, and wide! At that very instant, all of creation was derived within the Swordlight. It went in infinitely, fusing with the sword, and then plunged into the ground within a fraction of a second!
It followed the roots to the place where they originated!
Ka-boom!
Though it was clearly a sword, the immense weight immediately blew a massive crater into the ground!
After quite some time.
Four people stood still with blank expressions.
The elder's face looked extremely awful.
In that massive crater, only a portion of the tree root remained.
"What in the world is this thing…?"
At that moment, blood covered the ground. The blood was quickly absorbed by the dark mist. It was seemingly fighting against the dark mist, each attempting to counteract the other.
In the end, nothing remained. The disciple had died and was reduced to nothingness.
Mo Qingchen's face looked extremely awful.
However, at that very moment!
Whoosh!
The sky filled with terrifying tree roots that came squirming towards them from their surroundings.
"Ahhh!!"
Lin Qingxian's arms were immediately tangled in the roots and he was dragged away!
"Junior sister!" Mo Qingchen cared about the fellowship between the people of the sect the most. At that moment his eyes were red, but in an instant, a terrifying tree branch came quickly towards him and, being powerless to resist, he was immediately dragged away!
"Qingxian, Qingchen!" The elder's expression quickly changed and he shouted, "Chuan!"
The remaining disciple was Qin Chuan. He was the elder's personal disciple and had already arrived at Late-stage Qi Bending in his cultivation. However, he too was dragged away in an instant!
He was the only one left!
He quickly left the area, seemingly wanting to track down the demon tree!
After a while.
Tap.
A figure quickly appeared in the area, moving at speeds so terrifying that his appearance almost seemed instantaneous. His toes gently tapped down onto the ground. Glancing at the portion of root that had been left on the ground, his eyebrows knitted slightly.
"This demon tree is probably at the peak of the Liberation Stage. Roots are just one of its methods of attack. Its real body is not here."
The Rebirth technique immediately had figured out what he needed to know about the demon tree just from what had been left behind.
"Fortunately, this demon has not arrived at the Divine Bridge stage. A demon at the peak of the Liberation stage..."
Shen Changge did not continue his sentence, but the forcefulness in his eyes already explained everything.
"Found it."