Chapter 78: The Nourishment of the Sacred Tree

With the flying needle present, Qian Ye could not use his domain killing techniques freely. The life force plunder did not distinguish between friend and foe; if the bloodline were to pass through, it was uncertain whether the flying needle could endure.

Without the means for mass slaughter, Qian Ye was not afraid. He continued to employ his delicate swordsmanship, engaging with a horde of bizarre beasts. No matter what kind of beast, he dispatched them one by one, not too slowly. With Qian Ye’s recovery ability, once he found the right balance, he could sustain this for a very long time.

The flying needle had immense explosive power, but its stamina was limited. After slaying over a hundred beasts, it showed signs of fatigue, returning to Qian Ye, finding a comfortable spot to lie still.

Facing an endless wave of bizarre beasts, Qian Ye was not in a hurry to escape. It seemed he wanted to take this opportunity to explore the limits of his power in the new world. Calmly, he engaged in skirmishes with wave after wave of beasts, turning them into corpses one by one.

This went on all night long.

When the last bizarre beast fell with a wail, the sun in the sky brightened again, marking the start of a new day in the new world.

Around Qian Ye, the ground was littered with the corpses of the bizarre beasts. If the werewolves saw this, they would probably work themselves to death trying to carry them back. The flying needle returned to Qian Ye, falling into a deep slumber once more. It had devoured the flesh of the largest beast, and it appeared that it might undergo another mutation.

No matter how numerous these ordinary beasts were, they posed no threat to Qian Ye. In fact, after a night of slaughter, his control over his primordial force had become even more refined. Qian Ye picked up his sword and continued deeper into the forest. Suddenly, there was a commotion ahead, as if another group of bizarre beasts was waking from their slumber.

Qian Ye suddenly stopped. In front of him, a thin tree vine was tied to the ground. This was clearly a crude trap, designed to trigger either a barrage of needles or a thunderclap. Such an obvious trap could only deal with careless beasts, as any experienced hunter would not fall for it. But to find a trap in a place where bizarre beasts lived?

At the moment Qian Ye paused, a sharp whistle echoed through the forest, and a long spear pierced through the air, instantly reaching before Qian Ye!

Qian Ye’s brows furrowed, instinctively sensing something amiss. He flipped his wrist, transforming the Dong Yue from rigid to soft, gently placing it on the shaft of the spear, using extremely fine swordsmanship to deflect it to the side. Indeed, the power added to the spear was terrifying, causing Qian Ye’s entire body to shake, and he took several steps back.

The spear slanted into the ground, vanishing instantly, and then the earth bulged, exploding. Rocks and soil soared into the sky, uprooting several large trees. The power of one spear was so great.

Qian Ye’s expression was grave, but he did not retreat, continuing to walk deeper into the forest. As the whistling sound rose again, two more spears flew toward him. This time, Qian Ye did not block them directly, but instead, his figure flickered, avoiding them with a void flash. More spears came, all dodged by Qian Ye, and an extremely angry roar resounded from the depths of the forest, accompanied by a strong will assaulting Qian Ye.

“Get out! This is not a place for you!” The will delivered the message directly to Qian Ye’s mind, not through any spoken language.

“Hand over my people.”

“They have trespassed into my territory and have become food for the sacred tree.”

Qian Ye sneered coldly and continued forward, entering the depths of the forest.

In the center of the forest was a vast open space, at the heart of which grew three massive trees. Beneath them, a pool of blood connected to form a small lake. In the center of the lake, there was a rocky island, on which sat a six-armed creature.

This six-armed creature more closely resembled human features than the one Qian Ye had previously killed, and it was also much larger. It sat on a stone chair, eyes closed, motionless, with many noticeable wrinkles on its face, like the rings of a tree. If the rules in the new world had not been overturned, this creature should be considered elderly in its clan.

The six-armed creature casually grabbed a stone pillar beside the chair, and with a single stroke, it transformed into a spear. The material of the stone pillar was special, soft yet resilient, more akin to metal than rock. Once formed into a spear, the weapon emitted a metallic luster, becoming a fusion of metal and rock.

The previous six-armed creature’s battle knife was made of the same material, suggesting that the current six-armed creature was even stronger. However, Qian Ye noticed something strange: this six-armed creature had not risen, and its eyes remained closed. Only two of its arms moved, while the other four remained at its sides, motionless.

Then Qian Ye realized that the stone pillars around the chair had been broken, and the remaining ones were beyond the reach of the six-armed creature, even with its height and long arms. This was why the spear attacks from the forest had stopped.

Qian Ye now had a clear idea: this six-armed creature was either injured or in a state of hibernation, essentially unable to move. Even with an enemy at its door, it could only use two arms to counterattack, unable to stand. Now, it had only one spear left. Once thrown, it would be without any weapons. And such an immobile target was the perfect prey for the Primal Spear. Three shots of the Primal Spear would leave it crippled, regardless of its abilities.

The six-armed creature, not entirely foolish, did not throw the last spear. It turned its head slightly, directing its closed eyes toward Qian Ye, and again used its will to send a message: “Leave, and you may live.”

“Where are my people?”

“People? You mean, these creatures? You are different.” The six-armed creature pointed to the giant trees beside it. Its perception was indeed keen, noticing that Qian Ye’s bloodline differed from both humans and werewolves.

Following its direction, Qian Ye gazed intently, finally discerning the irregularity of the three giant trees. On their trunks, faint human outlines could be seen, hidden by natural patterns. Without the six-armed creature’s reminder, Qian Ye might have overlooked them.

Qian Ye’s pupils glowed blue, revealing a clear human figure beneath the bark in his true vision. It seemed to still have some life, not entirely dead, as the tree sap continuously entered its body, only to be drained by its blood. Now, the sap flowed predominantly within the human body.

Beside the human was a werewolf, in a similar state.

The other two giant trees also held humans and werewolves, all embedded within the tree trunks. Judging by the numbers, the missing patrol teams were likely here.

Qian Ye’s gaze fell on the roots of the giant trees, where piles of gray or white pebbles lay. In true vision, each pebble exhibited significant primordial force fluctuations, brimming with vitality. They were not ordinary stones but rather eggs.

These eggs were piled under the giant trees, many submerged in the pond, which was actually the tree sap. The eggs were absorbing the sap, relying on it for sustenance.

Qian Ye’s eyes narrowed. “Are these eggs the original forms of those beasts?”

The six-armed creature did not answer, merely repeating “get out,” unsure if it understood Qian Ye’s question.

Qian Ye had intended to gather more information, but seeing that the six-armed creature was not taking the bait, he ceased talking and took out Zang Xin, firing a shot.

The shot was not aimed at the six-armed creature on the stone chair, but at the pile of eggs beneath the giant trees. As the gun fired, the six-armed creature was startled, rising from the stone chair!

Its movement caused its surface to crack, dropping pieces of stone. The cracks revealed flesh, oozing blood. Some of the petrified skin peeled off, exposing the underlying flesh.

Such injuries must be excruciating, but it paid no heed, hurling the stone spear with all its might. The spear streaked through the air, striking Qian Ye’s primordial force bullet mid-flight!

A thunderous boom echoed through the forest, sending shockwaves rippling, making the three giant trees sway. A semi-spherical shockwave appeared in the center of the forest, gradually dissipating.

Despite the powerful blast of Zang Xin, the six-armed creature managed to neutralize it with a thrown spear. Recalling the earlier continuous spear throws, the six-armed creature, even in a semi-hibernated state, could unleash over a dozen strikes equivalent to level nine guns, a truly terrifying power.

But Qian Ye’s true target was not the eggs. As the six-armed creature leaped out, he immediately redirected his gun, aiming at the stone chair where it sat, firing another shot.

The six-armed creature, covered in blood, already struggling to move, could not stop in mid-air. With no second spear, it could only watch helplessly as Qian Ye shattered its stone chair.

The six-armed creature was stunned, roaring to the heavens, the furious bellow echoing for miles, shaking the entire forest, leaves falling like rain, the air chilly like autumn. Qian Ye felt as if struck by a sledgehammer, his vision filled with stars.

Just the roar nearly injured Qian Ye, indicating that the six-armed creature’s normal strength was at least that of a great duke, perhaps even a prince. Qian Ye’s alertness heightened.

The six-armed creature struggled, its stony skin flaking off, revealing a mangled, bloody body. Shaking, it was clear how painful this was, but it restored its mobility, taking large strides toward Qian Ye.

Qian Ye, of course, would not engage in a direct confrontation, flashing his figure and appearing a hundred meters away. The six-armed creature, enraged, charged at Qian Ye, each step splattering blood, the pain unimaginable. It reached Qian Ye in a few strides, but Qian Ye flashed again, reappearing a hundred meters away.

This continued several times until the six-armed creature abruptly stopped, no longer pursuing. Just as Qian Ye was about to breathe a sigh of relief and prepare a counterattack, the six-armed creature’s figure blurred, instantly appearing before Qian Ye!

Qian Ye was taken aback, but the void flash was now an instinctive reaction. As the six-armed creature materialized, Qian Ye vanished. But this time, the six-armed creature almost vanished simultaneously, reappearing next to Qian Ye!

Instantly, Qian Ye thought of Luo Bingfeng. The Lord of Tidal City also had a similar method to break the void flash. In a split second, Qian Ye flashed several times, each time the six-armed creature followed closely.

Qian Ye immediately realized it had the ability to track him, and there was still a gap in their strength. Deciding not to tangle with it, Qian Ye continued to flash towards the edge of the forest. Sure enough, when they reached the forest’s edge, the six-armed creature hesitated, stepping out and then retracting its foot.

Qian Ye halted a hundred meters away, facing the six-armed creature. Enraged, a heavy will collided with Qian Ye.

“All of you will become nourishment for the sacred tree!”