Chapter 13: You and Me Under the Tree of Wisdom
Just a little more, just a little more!
The Tree of Wisdom is right in front of me!
The chance to crush a genius is also right in front of me!
Qi Xiao struggled to stay awake, but his steps grew slower and slower.
Tap—tap—
"Huh? So this is the Tree of Wisdom?"
Qi Xiao froze, turning around in surprise to see a black-haired young man stepping out of the jungle, gazing up at the tree with curiosity.
Qi Xiao's vision blurred. He shook his head, his remaining rationality unable to comprehend how Xia Feng, who clearly lacked any speed-enhancing Spirit Clothes, had arrived so quickly.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Xia Feng was already walking toward him—no, rushing toward him!
Qi Xiao grinned. "Mr. Xia, it's too late!"
He leaped into the air, reaching for the Fruit of Wisdom while slashing three blood-red waves of energy behind him. Whoosh!
The three waves spread out, blocking Xia Feng's path to the Tree of Wisdom. But Xia Feng wasn't heading for the Tree of Wisdom. Instead, he was sprinting toward the Tree of Life!
Whoosh—
Like an arrow shot from a bow, Xia Feng reached the Tree of Life just as Qi Xiao harvested a dozen Fruits of Wisdom.
Snap—
Qi Xiao landed, staring at Xia Feng in disbelief. "What the hell? Is this guy suicidal? He's still thinking about the Fruit of Life at a time like this?"
Xia Feng jumped lightly, plucking the single Fruit of Life from the tree.
Qi Xiao quickly swallowed a Fruit of Wisdom, his rationality and IQ returning.
"I see," he said, grinning disdainfully. "Junior Brother Xia, you don't want to trade the Fruit of Life for a Fruit of Wisdom, do you?"
Xia Feng, exhilarated by the intense evil energy around him, glanced back. "Oh? What did you say?"
"I said," Qi Xiao tossed the cherry-sized Fruit of Wisdom in his hand, "if you want to trade, it's not impossible. Kneel and kowtow three times to me, and I'll give you the Fruit of Wisdom."
In the face of death, the Fruit of Wisdom was far more valuable than the Fruit of Life. After all, the latter only prolonged life, while the former purified the erosion of evil. Qi Xiao knew Xia Feng had no choice but to obey.
He loved the feeling of toying with a genius.
"Oh, I see," Xia Feng said, casually tossing the Fruit of Life in his hand. "But when did I ever say I wanted the Fruit of Wisdom?"
"What? Fine!" Qi Xiao laughed angrily. "If you don't want it, let's see who lasts longer."
Being eroded by evil would cause rationality, IQ, and emotions to collapse, leading to hallucinations and auditory delusions. Without timely relief, one would either die or become a mindless slave of evil.
So Xia Feng's choice was understandable. His rationality was fading, his emotions overwhelming him. He'd rather die than submit.
But Qi Xiao wasn't worried. He watched the black-haired young man in the distance, his breathing ragged and face flushed, and smiled faintly. "You have no choice, idiot. I'm blocking your way back. I don't even need to lift a finger. You'll be dead in three minutes!"
This was the border between the light and heavy disaster zones. Xia Feng felt his body growing more excited. He bent over, hands on his knees, catching his breath before looking up with a grin. "Really? But who said I want to go back? Idiot—"
With that, he turned and sprinted deeper into the forest.
"???" Qi Xiao's confident expression froze. What the hell? Is this guy insane?!
Seeing Xia Feng disappear into the distance, Qi Xiao gritted his teeth, hesitated for a moment, then cursed and gave chase.
"Shadow Step!" Qi Xiao gathered energy in his legs, his figure flashing like a lone wolf racing through the moonlit forest.
Xia Feng glanced back to see three terrifying blood-red waves, like spinning scimitars, rushing toward him. The force stung his cheeks.
Bang—
Mu Qingtong's reflexes kicked in. Xia Feng instinctively swung his sword.
The three blood waves merged into a massive blood moon scimitar, slicing through the air with a roar. Boom!!! The incoming waves were obliterated, but the scimitar didn't stop. It surged toward Qi Xiao with terrifying momentum, the jungle shaking in its wake.
"Shit!" Qi Xiao raised his arms, summoning a transparent wind barrier—Wind Wall!
Bang, bang, bang— The barrier exploded into blood-red flowers. Qi Xiao staggered back, blood trickling from his lips as he stared at Xia Feng in disbelief.
"Huh?" Xia Feng looked at his hands in surprise. "Wow, I underestimated you, Miss Mu."
While Mu Qingtong had been analyzing the "One-Tail" Spirit Clothe, she'd tweaked the spirit particle structure of "Triple Wave," making it even more powerful.
God, Miss Mu, you're a genius!
[You have further analyzed the D-level Spirit Clothe "One-Tail." Progress: 99.99%]
"Interesting, very interesting," Qi Xiao chuckled, wiping blood from his cheek. "You improved Triple Wave to this level? I underestimated your talent, Junior Brother Xia!"
"But that's it!"
Qi Xiao's aura surged. A thin golden light enveloped his body, and a long, slender golden mist tail extended from his back.
"Roar!" He crouched slightly, staring at Xia Feng like a wild beast, a playful grin on his lips. Whoosh—
A golden flash, and Qi Xiao vanished.
BANG!!!
Xia Feng blocked the strike, his sword clashing against Qi Xiao's with a deafening metallic ring.
But Qi Xiao's blade grew heavier, inching closer to Xia Feng's face. "Do you know why you'll lose? Arrogance and stupidity. Challenging me without mastering One-Tail? You're asking for death!"
It had taken Qi Xiao two and a half years to master One-Tail. Xia Feng had only had it for a day. There was no way he could win.
Unless Xia Feng had mastered One-Tail in a single day. But no one was that absurdly talented.
The blade inched closer.
Xia Feng's wrist strained, his black eyes narrowing coldly. He had to hold on.
Bang, bang, bang— Qi Xiao attacked relentlessly, his strikes coming faster and faster, like a torrential downpour.
If Mu Qingtong didn't hurry up, Xia Feng would have to resort to his trump card—the Demon Heart. Smearing "Blood Beast Impurities" on Qi Xiao's face would ensure his escape, but killing him was uncertain.
He didn't want to reveal that card yet.
[You have perfectly (100%) analyzed the spirit structure of the D-level Spirit Clothe "One-Tail." Your understanding of Spirit Clothes has greatly improved.]
[One-Tail (Perfect Version) D-Rank]
[When activated, spiritual pressure, senses, speed, strength, nerve reaction, and combat foresight are doubled. A light golden tail extends from the tailbone, capable of releasing high-intensity spiritual pressure shocks in a sharp, fine shape.]
[Duration: 10 seconds]
Damn it! Xia Feng's eyes lit up.
BANG—
The swords clashed, sending ripples through the mud beneath their feet.
"Give up, Xia Feng. This is the absolute suppression of One-Tail!"
Qi Xiao grinned, finally spotting an opening. He thrust his blade toward Xia Feng's heart. "Die!"