Chapter 130: A Sudden Shift, Magical Battle, Descent of the Forest, and the Arrival of Susanoo (4K)

Chapter 130: A Sudden Shift, Magical Battle, Descent of the Forest, and the Arrival of Susanoo (4K)



Xueheng's pupils reflected the silvery moonlight as he gazed at the woman in black before him, his tone devoid of emotion. "The Flower God Society... Is it the Cult of the Foreign Gods? Are you a Chosen One?"

The woman in black was taken aback. "Oh? You know about the Chosen Ones?"

"It seems you know more about this world than I imagined..."

"In that case, it should be easier to handle."

She smiled gently and said, "Since you understand, you should know that receiving the blessings of a god is a rare opportunity."

"The initiation ritual is ready, and the wood spirits and flower spirits are awaiting their new host."

"Come with me and bask in the Mother's radiance. Breathe in Her eternal essence."

The woman's words carried a strong spiritual connotation, but her tone was devoid of fanaticism, remaining soft and peaceful as if she were having a casual conversation.

Xueheng stared at her for a moment before casually saying, "However, I refuse."

The woman was taken aback.

"You seem to understand everything. Why refuse?"

Xueheng rubbed his chin and said, "I'm a born rebel. I don't like going along with others, and my favorite thing to do is go against the grain..."

Woman: "..."

Xueheng waved his hand. "Is that all? Then I'll be on my way."

After saying that, he walked around the woman in black, intending to leave.

However, he had only taken a few steps when he stopped.

"Crack! Crack!"

The concrete ground slowly cracked, and a stout, emerald green root, resembling a tentacle, forcefully drilled out from the fissure, blocking his path and swaying erratically in the air.

Without turning back, Xueheng said indifferently, "Oh? What's your intention?"

"Hmm..." The woman turned to look at him. "My instructions are to bring you back, so... although it seems unlikely, would you please come with me quietly?"

Xueheng's thoughts stirred.

'This invitation to join their cult isn't a spur-of-the-moment decision but a premeditated plan...?'

He wondered why. Aside from the involvement of the Dragon Sect and the Lion Saint Sect through Ning Fengwan, he shouldn't have had any contact with other Cults of the Foreign Gods.

Without another word, Xueheng turned decisively, and a spiral indentation appeared on his right arm as he unleashed a Thunderous Cyclone Punch.

"Boom!"

Thunder roared, and a spiral of white vaporous energy coiled around his fist, slamming into—the stout root.

Unbeknownst to them, the surrounding ground had already cracked open, and countless tentacle-like roots had emerged, waving wildly.

Blocking Xueheng's fist were several tough roots that had spiraled and intertwined together. His punch blasted a hole in them as if drilled by an electric drill, but it failed to penetrate, sparing the black-robed woman from harm.

Seizing the opportunity, a two-person-wide green root wriggled beneath the woman's feet, lifting her dozens of meters into the air.

Simultaneously, countless stout roots began to stretch and drill out, and within seconds, they filled the area in a dense tangle, resembling a forest.

Each root was dozens of meters long, swaying in the air like colossal snakes, blocking out the afternoon sun, leaving only patches of dappled light filtering through the gaps in the roots' dance.

"Quite the ruckus... I wonder if the Forest has descended?" Xuejing clicked his tongue.

Suspended in the air by the thick roots, the black-robed woman looked down at Xuejing and said gently, "Now, are you willing to come with me?"

She spread her arms wide, and countless thick roots encircled her, blocking out the sky and the sun, as if she were a forest goddess.

"This non-human might is a blessing from the Mother. It's futile to resist, so don't struggle."

"Come quietly with me."

The black-robed woman looked at Xuejing as if she were a deity gazing down upon a mortal.

Instead of answering, Xuejing asked, "Since the beginning of this encounter, not a single person has passed by. Why is that?"

Confident in her victory, the woman patiently explained, "It's because of the pollen... A type of pollen produced by a plant from another realm. When this pollen is released, anyone who smells it will have the thought of 'not wanting to come close'."

Xuejing nodded, "I see."

With a surge of strength, he stepped forward, cracking the ground beneath him, and shot towards the black-robed woman like an arrow.

With his might unleashed, Xuejing moved incredibly fast, covering the distance of several dozen meters in an instant.

However, the black-robed woman simply shook her head at his action, "It's futile."

Countless roots intertwined and quickly extended, blocking Xuejing's path.

"Boom!" With a punch enhanced by his Twin Powers, Xuejing blasted a spiral channel through the roots. He passed through the opening, but the black-robed woman had already been lifted away from her original spot.

He fixed his gaze on the woman, who was not far away, and as he spun in the air, he stepped on one of the roots to gain momentum.

At that moment, countless roots surged towards him, waving wildly. Their massive size and swift speed generated a powerful force, causing the air to emit a sharp, piercing sound.

Xuejing could only stop and stood still. His skin began to sprout dense dragon scales, and his body started to spin rapidly, turning into a spinning top.

Golden Dragon Scales!

"Crackle, crackle, crackle—"

The roots that touched him were like wood put through a shredder, constantly breaking apart and emitting a sound similar to an electric saw cutting through wood, sending wood shavings and chunks flying in all directions.

However, the roots were endless, showing no signs of stopping. They continued to wave and strike at the spinning Xuejing.

Xuejing understood that this could go on endlessly, so he stopped spinning and activated his Twin Powers, stepping on a random root. With incredible speed, he nimbly dodged through the air, and the countless roots chased after him relentlessly.

"Give up, it's meaningless." The black-robed woman continued to persuade him.

She watched Xuejing's rapid movements and said, "At such a young age, to have cultivated your martial arts to this level, you are truly remarkable."

'But, bad luck for you. My secret technique just so happens to be the bane of martial artists...'

The black-robed woman controlled the roots under her feet, carefully maneuvering through the air, always maintaining a distance of several dozen meters from Xuejing.

Although she was confident in her victory, she remained cautious, ensuring she didn't let a martial artist like him get too close.

After a while, Xuejing, who had been dodging and maneuvering in the air, suddenly had a change in his breathing.

His breathing became labored, disrupting the rhythm of his power flow, and his speed slowed significantly.

"Have you noticed it now?" The black-robed woman noticed his change in pace and smiled slightly, causing the countless roots to come to a halt.

Xuejing landed on the ground and instinctively took in two deep breaths, but the amount of oxygen he inhaled was minuscule.

"The air... it's becoming thinner," the black-robed woman said softly.

Xuejing furrowed his brows and asked, "What have you done?"

The woman stood in the air and smiled. She stretched out her right hand, and a thick green root slithered towards her like a puppy, which she gently stroked.

"Do you know what kind of plant this is?"

Xuejing didn't respond, but the woman didn't seem to expect an answer. She continued, "Its name is 'Nagusumcharlotus', a name that was transliterated from the language of another realm. It means 'The Harlot Who Considers Air Her Lover'."

"It's a rather vulgar name, but it's very fitting."

"Unlike the plants of our world, this child cannot photosynthesize. It cannot absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. On the contrary, it has a respiratory ability similar to humans, feeding on oxygen."

"And it absorbs oxygen far more efficiently than humans; its voracious appetite is almost violent. It's not very environmentally friendly."

The woman looked down at Xuejing.

"Martial artists rely on their breath and the coordination of their energy when using their martial powers. Without a sufficient supply of oxygen, you won't be able to muster your energy effectively. This child has already absorbed most of the oxygen in the surrounding air, thinning it to the point where we can barely breathe."

"Without their martial powers, martial artists lose most of their fighting strength... So, it's best if you come with me quietly."

"After all, we'll be colleagues from now on, and I don't want to force you or tie you up; that would be too unsightly..."

Xuejing took a few deep breaths, his expression unchanged despite the seemingly dire situation.

"I see," he said softly. "No wonder you're so confident."

The woman tilted her head. "Don't even think about leaving this 'forest.' You can't escape. You've seen how fast these children are, and without your martial powers, you won't be able to get away."

"Escape?" Xuejing shook his head.

He glanced at the countless thick stems surrounding them and the shadows cast on the ground due to the sunlight being blocked.

Countless streams of black energy were drawn out from the shadows and flowed towards Xuejing.

Seeing this, the black-robed woman's expression finally changed.

She stared, dumbfounded. "Wh-what...?"

"I didn't want to reveal this," Xuejing said, looking straight at her.

Countless streams of black energy swirled and coiled around his body.

"Boom!"

Black flames ignited and burned on his body, forming a cloak of black fire that made him resemble a god of death.

"You don't think I'm the only one who can use magic, do you?"

Xuejing clenched his fist, and a ball of black flame exploded, scattering into countless thumb-sized fireballs.

The fireballs dispersed like raindrops and flew towards the woman in the air.

Countless black streams of energy were drawn from the shadows and absorbed by the black fireballs, causing them to grow larger. By the time they reached the woman, they had transformed from thumb-sized orbs to the size of basketballs.

Countless black fireballs, like meteorites, rained down on the woman with ferocious intensity.

"Thi-this... How is this possible!"

The woman quickly controlled the countless stems, trying to intercept the onslaught of black fireballs.

"You... Are you also a recipient of blessings?!?"

The black flames hit the stems, erasing portions of them as if they were rubbed out of existence, resembling an annihilation reaction.

The countless fireballs devoured the stems, leaving wounds that looked more like they had been gnawed by a giant beast rather than burned.

"Here, here, here! Magic, oxygen absorption, and a harlot, huh?"

Xuejing cursed as black flames raged around him.

"I wanted to live among you as an ordinary martial artist, but all I got in return was disdain."

"Fine, I give up pretending. I can use magic too! I'm showing my hand now!"

He clenched his fist, and the black flames burning in the air suddenly came to life, giving birth to dozens of crows with white, empty eyes.

The crows flapped their wings, opened their beaks, and cawed silently as they flew towards the woman in the air.

"What kind of ability is this? Which foreign god do you follow?" the woman asked sternly, waving her hand and controlling the countless stems to reach for the crows.

At the same time, several dozen stems lunged towards Xuejing himself.

The situation had changed, and she could no longer hold back.

Xuejing snorted coldly and clasped his hands together.

Countless black streams of energy were drawn from the shadows and converged on his body.

Black flames ignited and came alive, gradually enveloping his entire body and forming a six-meter-tall black humanoid figure with its upper body. Scales covered its body, resembling a full-body suit of Song Dynasty armor.

The humanoid figure had only an upper body, and it encased Xuejing within its belly, appearing semi-transparent black with flickers of black flame. Only a pair of white, empty eyes were visible through the helmet's eye slits.

"Is that the Descendant of the Forest? Well, I'm Susanoo!"

Black energy swirled around the giant's hand, forming a pitch-black longsword.

"Come on, let the ninja world war begin!"

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end