https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-103-Defying-Heaven-to-Change-Fate-the-Fear-of-the-Cyan-Grapevine/12575267/
Chapter 104: Ephemeral Tree, Gu An the Demon Subduer
Chapter 104: Ephemeral Tree, Gu An the Demon Subduer
"What kind of tree is it?" Gu An asked, looking at the azure vine tree. The tree was nearly three hundred years old, and its ability to speak did not surprise him.
The voice of the azure vine tree sounded similar to Jiang Qiong's, probably because it had listened to her frequently during its development of sentience.
"I'm not sure... but I can sense it, and it wants to devour me..." The azure vine tree's voice echoed again, causing Gu An to furrow his brows.
The first thing that came to Gu An's mind was the human-faced tree. That creature also originated from the Qian Qiu Pavilion and was extremely sinister. However, the human-faced tree had a lower rank than the azure vine tree, so why would it strike such fear into the latter?
"Where is it?" Gu An asked further.
"I don't know..."
"Is it far from you?"
"Very far, very far away..."
Hearing this answer, Gu An could rule out the possibility of it being the human-faced tree.
Could it be related to the Ephemeral Flower Sect?
Could the missing city's worth of people have been devoured by some evil tree of the Ephemeral Flower Sect? The more Gu An thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
And then there was Zhong Liang, who had his eyes set on him. Gu An felt uneasy about that.
It wasn't that he feared Zhong Liang, but he was concerned about someone discovering his hidden cultivation.
This wouldn't do!
He couldn't just sit and wait for disaster to strike!
Gu An's eyes narrowed, and the terrifying divine sense of a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator spread out, covering the entire Tai Cang Imperial Court.
The Tai Cang Imperial Court was vast, but it was no match for the divine sense of a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator! He intended to conduct a thorough search for Zhong Liang, turning every stone and leaving no corner untouched!
As he searched, Gu An was shocked by the sheer number of cultivators in the Tai Cang Imperial Court. It felt like sifting through sand to find gold.
However, Gu An did not back down from the challenge. He refused to believe that he couldn't find the enemy hiding in the shadows.
...
In a dim underground cave, Su Han sat cross-legged within a cold pool, his upper body bare. The pool's water exuded a chilling aura, and next to him stood a white jade longsword, resembling one made from white bones. The sword blade was enveloped in a bloody aura, making it eerie and terrifying.
Su Han's face contorted in pain, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.
After a while, he suddenly heard distant wails and opened his eyes. He looked at the figure meditating on the cave wall and asked, "Master, what was that sound just now?"
With his eyes closed, Zhong Liang replied indifferently, "Pay them no mind. They are just a bunch of pitiful creatures begging for the heavens' mercy. Whether they live or die has nothing to do with you."
His white hair was loosely draped over his shoulders, and he wore a loose daoist robe. His face was square-jawed, and his brows gave off a oppressive feeling, as if he always had a third eye between them due to his constant frowning.
Su Han found it hard to calm his heart as he listened to the wailing.
"Don't forget why you joined the sect, and don't forget why you picked up my sword." Zhong Liang's voice sounded again, this time with a hint of impatience.
Su Han took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more.
As soon as Su Han closed his eyes, Zhong Liang opened his. He looked at Su Han, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
"This boy's hatred is not strong enough. We need to find a way to capture his master and use him to stimulate Su Han." Zhong Liang thought to himself.
Suddenly, Zhong Liang's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a momentary sense of shock and dread, causing him to furrow his brows.
"What's going on? Could it be an illusion?" Zhong Liang wondered anxiously. He immediately spread out his divine sense but did not detect any enemies.
On the other side.
Inside the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven.
Gu An's expression changed abruptly.
He had found it! After searching the entire Tai Cang Imperial Court and finding no traces of the Ephemeral Flower Sect, he suddenly thought of the underground. So he scanned once more, looking for unusual spiritual energy, and that was when he discovered Su Han.
Next to Su Han sat a Combined Realm cultivator, and in a vast underground space several li away from the two of them was a gigantic spiritual tree. Just one glance was enough for Gu An to confirm that this tree was the existence that the azure vine tree feared.
This place was likely the stronghold of the Ephemeral Flower Sect. They all seemed like bad eggs, so he decided to kill them all and then continue his pursuit of Zhong Liang! He wouldn't be able to rest easy until Zhong Liang was dead!
Gu An turned back to look at the azure vine tree and said, "From now on, if you're afraid of something or sense anything unusual nearby, let me know immediately. I won't treat you unfairly."
The azure vine tree's trunk twisted, and it replied in a timid voice, "Yes, master."
Gu An then turned and left.
Even in front of the azure vine tree, he did not reveal his true strength. It was always good to keep a few tricks up his sleeve.
After leaving the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven, Gu An entered a forest and walked with strides empowered by the Infinite Free Steps.
...
In the underground cave, Zhong Liang knit his brows tightly. He had already swept the area with his divine sense several times but had not detected anything amiss. However, he refused to believe that he had imagined the whole thing.
Just then, a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder.
His expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously wanted to jump away, but to his horror, he found that he couldn't break free.
At that moment, he felt the same way the Sect Master had before.
Unbelievable!
Fear!
Despair!
He was at the third layer of the Combined Realm, yet he was immobilized by a mere hand.
Zhong Liang glanced sideways and saw a figure standing next to him, exuding demonic energy.
It was Gu An, who had unleashed the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body, and the purple-black demonic energy shrouding him made it impossible for Zhong Liang to see his true appearance.
This stronghold was protected by hundreds of formations and restrictions, but Gu An, with his Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body and Infinite Free Steps, moved through them as if they didn't exist. He had taken a single step and entered without setting off any alarms, and even the surveillance formations had failed to detect his intrusion.
Gu An kept one hand on Zhong Liang and turned his gaze toward Su Han.
Su Han's cultivation had reached the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm, but his life limit had not increased and remained at one hundred and ninety-nine years.
Typically, a cultivator at the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm would have a lifespan exceeding two hundred years. It seemed that the Hate God Sword did have the potential to surpass limits, but it couldn't break through the restrictions of one's destiny.
And no wonder those who practiced the Hate God Sword were prone to losing their way, even as their cultivation improved. The further they progressed, the easier it was for them to be consumed by their own power.
Su Han was so focused on his cultivation that he didn't sense Gu An's arrival.
Gu An's gaze fell on Zhong Liang, and he prepared to use the Soul-Searching Technique to find him. Instinctively, he probed with his lifespan sense.
Hmm? So it was this brat!
Then die!
Gu An's right hand clenched, and the terrifying spiritual power of a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator surged into Zhong Liang's body, obliterating him—body and soul—reducing him to ashes in an instant!
A gust of wind rushed towards Su Han, causing him to open his eyes reflexively. Immediately, his pupils dilated, and he sprang to his feet, drawing the white jade longsword by his side.
"Who are you?" Su Han demanded, pointing his sword at Gu An.
Where's my master?
Why did he suddenly disappear?
Su Han's heart was filled with dread as Gu An's figure struck fear into him, especially with the dim lighting in the cave.
A terrifying oppressive aura burst forth from Gu An's body, instantly knocking Su Han unconscious, and he fell back into the pool.
Gu An turned and walked towards the cave entrance, his figure disappearing into the darkness.
Several li away, in a vast underground space, the lighting was dim. Here stood a hundred-zhang-tall giant tree with blood-red leaves. Vines hung from its branches, and at the bottom of each vine was a person bound and trapped.
The vines wrapped around their necks, preventing them from escaping, and their bodies withered at a visible rate. Many had already been sucked dry and turned into mummies.
The entire scene was terrifying and eerie.
Below the giant tree stood members of the Ephemeral Flower Sect, each guarding a group of captured cultivators—both male and female. Their bodies were covered in talismans, sealing their spiritual power, rendering them as powerless as civilian prisoners. They looked miserable.
There were over a thousand captives, and guarding them were hundreds of members of the Ephemeral Flower Sect.
All the captives looked at the giant tree in despair as it fed.
"It's a demon... a demon..."
"You won't have a good death! You tricked me into joining the sect, only to feed me to this evil tree!"
"Is this a demon or a monster?"
"Damn it!"
Some cursed, some wailed, and some begged for mercy. Their voices made this underground space even more terrifying.
A voluptuous female demon cultivator with a beautiful face coldly huffed, "It's a matter of winners and losers. Don't act so innocent. Perhaps the heavens think we're doing the right thing by punishing the evil and promoting good!"
As she spoke, she lifted a man beside her and brought her mouth close to his forehead, beginning to absorb his vital energy. The man's complexion quickly became weak, and his eyes lost their luster.
Whoosh—
A cold wind blew, and the female demon cultivator subconsciously looked down at the grass under her feet. The grass leaves trembled, and before she could react, whoosh, the grass shot up and pierced her between the eyebrows. Blood splattered across her brain.
It wasn't just her; almost simultaneously, the other Ephemeral Flower Sect demon cultivators were killed by the grass, no matter how high their realm was.
The captives froze, as if they had sensed something. They turned their heads in unison and saw a figure walking towards them in the darkness.
"Demon Shadow Divine Ability! It's someone from Qian Qiu Pavilion!" someone exclaimed joyfully.
As the words fell, Gu An suddenly accelerated, turning into a blur of shadows as he passed by all the captives and arrived at the giant tree.
The captives seemed to be under a paralysis spell, frozen in place. A moment later, they all turned into flying ashes.
Gu An looked up, and a prompt appeared before his eyes:
> [Ephemeral Tree ( Eighth Tier): 3400/42000/230000]
Eighth Tier!
No wonder the Azure Vine Tree was afraid!
On the main trunk of the Ephemeral Tree, a piece of bark began to split open, and a huge face appeared. Only the facial features could be seen, and it was impossible to discern the gender, but its expression was one of greed and coldness.
The vines loosened and then attacked Gu An together.
Clang—
The sound of a sword being unsheathed reverberated through the underground space, grating and piercing.
The Ephemeral Tree was directly cut in half. The vines fell like heavy rain, and its greedy face was also split in two. Its expression seemed frozen, and the two halves of its body began to crumble, with sword energy bursting forth from within, a spectacular sight.
Gu An sheathed the Heavenly Lodging Sword and then threw it into his storage bag, burning the Ephemeral Tree with his spiritual fire.
Prompt after prompt of lifespan absorption appeared before his eyes.
An eighth-tier spirit tree was very strong; its aura was already comparable to that of a Combined Realm cultivator. However, its opponent was a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator.
...
At noon.
In the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An stepped off the transmission platform, feeling quite pleased. The night before, he had harvested over 40,000 lifespans, with the Ephemeral Tree alone contributing 5,000 years.
Only Su Han was left alive at the Ephemeral Flower Sect's outpost.
After learning that the captives were also demon cultivators, Gu An showed no mercy and eradicated them all, leaving no hidden dangers.
As soon as he stepped off the platform, Gu An sensed the auras of Lu Baitian, Gu Zong, and Ji Hantian. The three were waiting in his pavilion.
Gu An immediately went there. As soon as he climbed the stairs, the door opened.
He stepped over the threshold and was about to bow when Gu Zong waved his sleeve, closing the door and reapplying the restrictions.
Gu An noticed their unusual expressions and thought that the Ephemeral Flower Sect was about to attack.
He wasn't worried, though. Once the Ephemeral Flower Sect discovered that the Ephemeral Tree was gone, they probably wouldn't have the energy to deal with Tai Xuan Gate.
Lu Baitian's face was extremely unsightly, and he looked very weak and pale. He glared at Gu An and said through gritted teeth, "I have some cruel bad news to tell you."
---
Third update!
Please vote for this month's ticket!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
