Chereads / "I Have a Mythical Tree" / Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: The Core

Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: The Core

After years of enduring hardship, Ji Xia finally witnessed an astounding payoff!

The three Yin generals worked together, and despite the desperate struggles of the Dog King, he was swiftly defeated within mere moments, his body slashed by their blades. Ji Xia held the severed head of the Dog King in his hand, his posture upright, surrounded by a thick fog that emanated from behind him, making him appear as though he were a celestial being in a mystic realm.

Ji Qianqing, with her sword aura soaring into the sky, severed one of the Gold-Eating Giant Ape's arms. She turned to look at Ji Xia and saw that, centered around him, a continuous stream of Yin soldiers wielding spears had entered the battlefield.

The Yin Army, no weaker than the Cang Guard Army, fought in units of ten. They relentlessly surrounded and killed the scattered Dog Army soldiers. Countless Kiu dogs never had a chance to react before being pierced through by the long spears of the Yin soldiers, their bodies disintegrated in an instant and scattered across the battlefield.

The onlookers from the city walls could hardly believe their eyes as the Yin Army appeared and turned the tide of battle, with astonishing results that filled them with excitement and tears.

"Did you see that, Lord First Sovereign? Cang has survived yet another crisis!"

Zhao Qu's voice trembled as tears welled in his eyes, and he fell to his knees.

"Lord First Sovereign... I may have failed you... Please, do not blame Lu Yu. If it were a time of peace, he would surely hold the Prince accountable. But in this vast wilderness, with so many powerful tribes around us, humanity is far too weak. Without the Prince's intervention, tens of thousands of Cang people would have perished!"

Lu Yu, deep in thought, replied, "You have worked tirelessly for the Cang people and for humanity your whole life. It is time you rest, and enjoy the grandeur of the Heavenly Cang Court. There is no need to worry about Cang any longer."

The Dog Army was rapidly being crushed by the Yin Army. In just a few short moments, they had already made incredible progress. Ji Xia was overjoyed. Though the Yin Army was not stronger than the Dog Army, the difference in the battle lay in the fact that the Dog Army had been scattered by the Hunting Army and the Cang Guard, while the Yin Army had come prepared, focusing on eliminating isolated Dog soldiers and sweeping away all Kiu dogs in their path.

As soon as the Cang Guard soldiers saw the reinforcement, their exhausted bodies surged with renewed strength, and they began their counterattack.

"Roar!"

The Gold-Eating Giant Ape, whose arm had been severed by Ji Qianqing, let out a deafening roar. Blood gushed from its severed limb like a fountain. The Dog King, who had been seated atop the giant ape's head, looked as though he were in agony, his face twisted with pain as if his own arm had been severed.

Ji Qianqing's face grew firm. Her spirit essence had been greatly depleted, but she was confident that the remaining energy she had was enough to strike down the Gold-Eating Giant Ape, a beast comparable to a peak Nine Heaven expert.

As if to confirm her belief, her sword danced in the air, each swing more powerful and intense than the last. The already exhausted giant ape was forced back, unable to resist the onslaught. It could only let out a pitiful cry, unable to defend itself.

"Green Lord Sword, decapitate!"

Finally, a three-zhang sword energy surged forward, cutting off the ape's head in one clean strike!

The giant ape's body convulsed before crashing to the ground. The Dog King atop its head trembled violently, his blood vessels bursting as he died instantly.

Both Dog Kings were dead, and over 800 Dog soldiers had been decapitated. The remaining Kiu dogs, seeing the overwhelming power of the Yin Army and the Cang Guard, quickly discarded their weapons and attempted to flee.

"Not a single one shall escape!"

General Rong Lu, like Ji Xia, held up a severed dog head in one hand and brandished his blade, shouting angrily, "Let one escape, and the children of Cang will pay with their lives! Kill them all!"

The three Yin generals, Yin Ding, Hei Ding, and An Ding, sped past, cutting down the fleeing Kiu dogs one by one. Ji Xia let out a long sigh of relief and murmured to himself, "Looks like we've made it through this crisis."

Two hundred li from Taicheng, on the border between the kingdoms of Taicang and Zhouqing, at the foot of Cangqing Mountain, a young woman clad in fine clothes, a greenwood flower crown atop her head, and her face veiled in a mysterious light, stood gazing towards Taicheng in the distance.

Beside her stood a handsome young man in silver armor, his tall and muscular frame exuding strength. His complexion was pale, and his features were stunning.

"The mountain's seal is weakening," the young man said, his voice tinged with a light chuckle. "You were sent here to reinforce the seal, yet you still find time to watch these ants play around."

The mysterious girl did not respond, her gaze still fixed on the distant Taicheng.

The young man's expression darkened, and he also looked towards Taicheng. A glimmer of malice flashed in his eyes, and the sky seemed to sense his anger, dark clouds suddenly gathering, obscuring the three suns. He twisted his forehead, revealing a third eye!

This young man had three eyes.

The third eye on his forehead flickered with lightning, but suddenly the mysterious girl's cold voice echoed: "They are but ants. Why bother with them?"

The lightning in the boy's third eye vanished in an instant.

"I still can't understand it. Why would such a lowly race as humans, with their humble appearance, dare to be so similar to us?" he muttered, his voice filled with disdain. For them, the resemblance of the human race to their own was an embarrassment.

The mysterious girl shook her head. "The Endless Wilderness is vast. So vast that even the gods do not know where its end lies. Such a land is bound to have all kinds of wonders."

She continued, "There are countless races in the Endless Wilderness, and many of them are similar in appearance. They all possess divine forms, so there's nothing strange about it."

The young man nodded, asking, "Yigui, when will you reinforce the seal?"

"It has already been reinforced," she replied, her voice calm.

"Reinforced already?" The young man froze for a moment. His third eye glowed with a silver light, sending a wave of energy deep into Cangqing Mountain. Through the rocks and earth, he saw a giant beast lying dormant underground, its body resembling neither a bird nor a leopard.

Surrounding the beast were countless vivid red flowers, emitting a terrifying aura that formed a restraining array, trapping the beast.

The beast seemed to sense the probing gaze and slowly opened its eyes, meeting the young man's stare.

The young man suddenly heard countless infant cries. It felt as if the earth itself was crumbling, and he saw a bizarre, monstrous baby with jagged teeth and eyes like copper bells, devouring the land, swallowing everything in its path—including him!

"Fengsu, the seal is here, and yet you still dare to act recklessly?" the young man sneered, his third eye flashing with power, dispelling the illusion immediately.

The beast known as Fengsu, however, did not respond, lazily closing its eyes to continue its slumber.

"The seal has indeed been reinforced," the young man sighed in relief, smiling.

Yigui nodded, and with a flick of her body, disappeared without a trace.

Seeing her leave without a word, the young man's previously bright smile vanished, replaced by a grim expression.

He flipped his hand, and two small brown fruit appeared in his palm. He placed one in his mouth and casually tossed the other into the void.

A ripple spread through the air, and a giant multicolored serpent appeared. Its head darted forward, swallowing the small fruit with lightning speed.

The young man observed the serpent with a cruel glint in his eyes. "Same old story—trivial power. Let's see who kills more ants."

The serpent flicked its tongue and gazed at the young man.

He turned his attention back to Taicheng, shaking his head. "Forget it. Yigui just told me not to bother with these ants, yet here I am targeting them. How petty of me."

He then turned westward, puffed out his cheeks, and spat a fruit pit into the air. The serpent followed suit, spitting out the pit from its mouth. The two pits shot across mountains and rivers, crossing into Zhouqing Kingdom, and exploded with a tremendous sound.

A kingdom full of life was eradicated by the two fruit pits.

The young man, watching from hundreds of miles away, nodded with satisfaction. "Another win for me."

The serpent shook its massive head, clearly dissatisfied with the result.

The young man chuckled. "Don't act up. Last time, I wasn't interested and just randomly targeted a small ant kingdom. I hit a military camp, and while only four thousand ants perished, don't forget that you ate the fruit last time, so of course, you lost."

Meanwhile, Ji Xia, who was preparing a victory feast in Taicang, remained unaware of how close death had come to him.