“Damn...” Seth muttered at the sight of the attack. This was probably the most damage a sapling ever suffered from the attack of a single person. There had been the attacks by The Scene on Mount Agra and other Tree Stations, but those usually involved armies. Good thing Seth had taken the biggest burl, apart from the seed for the Gate Guardian....
What was an immortal doing here? This was definitely the power of a legend, but there wasn't anyone of that level supposed to be left in the Silk River Sect. Neither their info nor Master Mountain had mentioned anything like this.
On top of that, this immortal seemed especially strong. The blacksmith would have been worried if he were that person's opponent. However, his Laraweg Helmet switched to the Helm of Hades, making the bard imperceptible; he was not the one who was facing the immortal.
This was why <Calm Mind> didn't even have to activate. The blacksmith also packed away Vegr, the golem griffin, and switched to a couple of golem drones. They were not invisible, but Rún had enchanted them with perception interference, giving the imperceptible blacksmith two almost imperceptible footholds.
After activating incognito mode, his attention returned to the sect below, where the tree finally reacted to the powerful attack, which left it as a barren stake.
...
As if to answer the destruction of the crown and vines, the activity of the roots increased exponentially. Roots shot from the ground all over the place, piercing whatever remained alive in the sect. The victims were mummified even before they were pulled underground.
The weed was far from dead; instead, it was using what remained of his sect to nourish itself! There were already signs of new branches and freshly budding leaves all over the remaining trunk! He almost threw up a mouthful of blood in anger.
This was the sect that should have been the foothold of his ascension! It was HIS stepping stone! How dare this shrub touch what was his!? The anger surged in his body, and the energy of heaven and earth moved according to his will, creating another Palm of Extinction above the trunk.
It was smaller, but shone much brighter as its power was far more concentrated. The crown was already gone; now he would crush the trunk and roots below it! Disciples valiantly resisting the attacks of the root by seeking refuge on the ceilings or on flying vessels in the air cheered for the ancestors' second attack.
Only moments after the first palm, the second struck. To any onlooker, it was like the hand of an adult, crushing a castle of sand. The budding stake turned into a cascade of dust, and the palm slammed into the ground, dispersing the pile of powder in a cloud across the central valley.
The sect cheered victoriously. The tree that had suddenly risen to destroy what was left of them had been eradicated! The only one not cheering was the Ancestor. Again, more than half of the energy of the attack had vanished, and his palm had only created a shallow indent, where a gaping hole was supposed to be.
Despite rousing the surrounding power of heaven and earth, he had already consumed almost half his immortal energy to use his ultimate technique twice. This was an attack that could even slap an immortal to death, yet he wasn't sure his opponent was dead after using it twice.
Seeing the creature survive cleared his mind. He circulated his energy to suppress the flare-up of anger and cool his mind. He was not stupid. Unless one got rid of the roots of the problem, it would never end. The second attack should have done the trick, but once again, his power was weakened.
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The most worrisome question now was not how he could weed out this foe, but-
“Just where did the power go to?” he questioned as the cloud of dust rose. He had to solve this puzzle first; otherwise, he would only exhaust his power for naught.
The most probable and worst case was the plant absorbing it. If that were the case, this would never end. His own attacks would just replenish the beast, and it would become a fight of attrition. This was the last thing he wanted.
With his thoughts straightened out, he thought of a solution. If the shrub really absorbed his energy, then it had to store it somewhere. That would be its weak point. As long as he managed to find this weak point and strike it with an attack that would overwhelm the absorption and kill it before it could use the energy it stole.
Controlling his breathing, he sat down cross-legged and expanded his divine consciousness even further. He ignored the incidents in the sect. The disciples desperately trying to survive against monsters and roots meant nothing to him. he had to get rid of the tree first.
The fiend had taken notice of him and tried to attack, but the flimsy tendrils could not touch him within his domain on annihilation, which had taken the form of invisible wind that would disintegrate anything entering against his will.
Controlled by unwavering focus, his consciousness not only covered the sect but also penetrated the ground beneath. He saw the immortal caves, secret passages, and storage rooms. He went deeper, detecting all the roots that had spread below their feet.
Just how long had this thing been growing to so thoroughly subvert the foundation of his sect? he followed the system of roots to a core. It was an immense concentration of energy, but what made his heart quiver was its location.
The core of the tree was nestled in the center of the spirit vein, the heart of their sect and source for the rich energy of heaven and earth in the sect. The sole reason he chose this location to cultivate had been corrupted by this thing.
His fists balled, and his knuckles turned white as he tried to suppress his anger and frustration. If he wanted to kill this creature, he would have to cripple his sect. His plan of over 300 years would come to an abrupt end.
He couldn't allow this. Just a couple more years and his plans would have come to fruition! He could have safely ascended to a higher realm. He could have moved to the central provinces and become an elder in a prestigious sect...
Swallowing his regrets, he made a decision. Even if it was dangerous, a rushed breakthrough was better than allowing this thing to end his path in this desolate place. He was born to go further, and he would not be stopped by a random shrub!
Driven by cold wrath and determination, he brought out the Infinite Gourd and decisively drank its contents. The Earth Spirit Water turned into pure energy the moment it entered his throat. The immortal power was coursing through his veins, opening all meridians at once.
One mistake and his veins bursting with power would rupture, resulting in a self-detonation, taking the whole sect with him. But he didn't intend to let it come to this. Sitting in the remains of the sect leader's residence, he put a plan into motion that had been simmering for over three centuries.
...
Suddenly, screams erupted from all over the mountains and valleys. Flying swords, vessels, and other devices crashed into the sect below. The blacksmith watched the disciples and monsters who found refuge in the air and on roofs, fall from the sky, and collapse on the ground.
Their wails spoke of unspeakable pain as the bend and twisted on the ground. Seth literally saw them age in a time-lapse. Had the tree sapling unlocked a new power or...? This was when the bard noticed a change.
There was a pattern of shimmering light that covered the whole sect, which was not there before. It reminded him of the massive magic circle the scene had used in Y-City, but it lacked the demonic aura or red color.
Before he could make a final conclusion, the screams fell silent. All of them had fallen silent, little more than mummies. Seth was unsure whether they were actually dead or just lacked the power to utter a sound.
On the other hand, the glimmering formation was now receding, shrinking down to a single point, the old monster. The old man, sitting in the center of a destroyed mansion, had become the focus of a colorless pillar of concentrated power. It was flickering like heated air, distorting the light that passed through.
Seth's heart fell a little. Seth had tried to <Observe> the man, but he didn't know more than that his level had 3 figures. Still, the blacksmith was convinced it was currently shooting up. If it were the actual Guardian Tree here, or the Gate Guardian, he wouldn't have worried, but could a sapling face this guy?
Maybe he should take some precautions?
