Chapter 524: Chapter 519: Those Bygone Days (Part 3)
The person referred to as the boss was the leading superpower user.
Ever since he awakened his superpower, he feared nothing.
Encountered a ghost?
This girl, despite her young age, had a ruthless heart; she must be playing tricks.
The leading superpower user seemed to see through Ji Ning, gripping the rope even tighter, determined to subdue her, yet unaware that true danger was imminent.
The soil stained red with Ji Ning’s blood suddenly moved, and the leading superpower user felt something unusual underfoot. He glanced down, his face instantly turning pale with fright.
Numerous green roots climbed up his shoes, as if infused with life.
"What’s this creepy stuff?"
The leading superpower user quickly stomped to break the green roots from his shoes, while others looked at their feet, where snake-like plants swiftly climbed up; the fast ones already crept up past the leather boots to his calf.
"Ah... these things bite!" one of the pursuers shouted, letting go of the rope on Ji Ning’s shoulders and rapidly pulled out a dagger to cut the plants on his leg.
His blood seemed to spur these plants, and more green roots emerged from the soil, attacking them with increasing speed.
Oddly, all these plants bypassed Ji Ning, treating her like air.
Realizing this, the leading superpower user pointed at Ji Ning and yelled, "It’s this damn girl causing trouble, kill her!"
Someone instantly hurled a dagger at Ji Ning’s back, as the blade stained with dark green plant liquid aimed to pierce into Ji Ning’s body.
A strange scene occurred.
A sudden white light appeared out of nowhere, blocking the dagger.
Stunned, the leading superpower user felt an even deeper terror in his heart, "Quick, use the gun."
"Bang bang bang..." several gunshots rang out, bullets instantly penetrating the white light.
Looking at Ji Ning again, not only did she not fall dead, but the white light surrounding her grew brighter.
"Ghost––run––"
The timid among them desperately broke free from the ground’s grip, fleeing deeper into the forest.
His cries stirred others, adding to the panic.
"Brother, we better run; this girl is really spooky."
Watching the ever-increasing roots emerging from the ground, the leading superpower user grudgingly glanced at Ji Ning enveloped by the white light.
Angrily firing many shots, he directly pierced and shattered the green roots surrounding them before fiercely saying, "Let’s go!"
The group swiftly retreated, unaware they weren’t taking the path they came from.
Seemingly dazed Ji Ning had experienced momentary confusion, but the body’s pain brought her clarity, and by the time the white light appeared, her mind was completely clear, and the energy controlling her gradually dissipated.
Watching the pursuers retreat deeper into the forest, joy flickered in her eyes.
They were retreating to the area she intended to lure them into.
She stretched out her hand, gazing at the earring in the palm’s center, bit her lip, and softly inquired, "Did you save me?"
The white light on the earring flashed once before slowly returning to calm.
Ji Ning removed the silver stick from her ear hole and put on the earring.
Her gaze fixedly on the forest ahead.
She wished to see them enter the Underworld.
As she stepped forward, the ground’s vegetation, as if imbued with intelligence, swiftly sunk into the soil, clearing a dirt path for her.
Just like the old chieftain’s tales of mythical creatures, might she encounter one in the mountain?
Ji Ning tightly gripped the blood-stained dagger, gathering courage as she ran deeper into the forest.
Uncertain how long she ran, she finally spotted traces of the group.
Carefully pushing aside weeds taller than herself, she saw a scene she would never forget.
The group pursuing her seemed crazed, killing each other in front of a giant tree.
Though there was no wind surrounding them, the tree’s branches swung as if blown by gusts, like spectators outside an ancient gladiatorial arena cheering and screaming.
Soon, one by one, they fell dead, the stench of blood filling the air.
Suddenly—
Tendrils entwined in the large tree rose like tentacles, swiftly lunging toward a corpse, piercing its brain like needles.
The finger-thick tendrils visibly wriggled, as if gulping down the corpse’s brain matter.
Ji Ning shuddered, covering her mouth tightly to avoid making any noise.
The corpses on the ground deflated like punctured balloons, leaving only skin-wrapped bones.
But it didn’t stop there; dense green roots from the soil covered the bodies, forming human-shaped green mummies.
Ji Ning watched as the sentient plants consumed all the bodies, turning them into "green mummies."
Perhaps it was physical exhaustion or intense shock, but Ji Ning’s vision faded to black, losing consciousness.
She couldn’t say how long she slept, but the sensation of sticky liquid woke her.
Opening her eyes, she was surrounded by green, as if residing in a green kingdom.
All around was dense green liquid, faintly aromatic like grass.
Inside, a burning energy surged through her skin, tissues, bones, and organs...
Aching and itching, unbearably uncomfortable.
She attempted to move but found herself trapped, unable to budge.
Her mind flashed to the last scene before fainting: the bodies were mummified by the plants like wrapped dumplings.
Was she being treated the same way now?
After struggling a while, she was forced to smile bitterly, maybe this was for the best; revenge taken, she could join the old professor in the Underworld.
She hoped he walked slower, so she could catch up with him.
Ji Ning slowly closed her eyes, bracing for death.
After what felt like a satisfying sleep, she awoke again, still engulfed in green liquid, immobilized.
Had the tree spirit eaten its fill and now refused to eat children?
Ji Ning idly speculated, suddenly desiring to see herself now; was she the smallest "mummy"?
Closing her eyes, she tried to envision the scenery outside, attempting to feel the world through her somewhat faulty mind.
Gradually, vivid images formed in her mind.
She wasn’t inside a green mummy but encased within a massive green cocoon.
The green cocoon lay like a bird egg atop the tree.
Green tendrils connected to the cocoon, wriggling like liquid was being transported.
Ji Ning suspected the viscous liquid wrapping her was being delivered by the tendrils.
Following the tendrils downward, she saw fresh plants growing from the corpses on the ground.
Some of the plants blossomed yellow buds, looking incredibly pretty.
A small insect flew by suddenly, causing the flowers to bloom instantly, revealing jagged teeth at its center, devouring the insect whole.
Soon, it was digested into nutrients by the flower, just like the corpse at its roots, vanishing into the soil, feeding the plants’ growth, flowers blossoming, pollen scattered by wind to propagate elsewhere.
Ji Ning was astounded by how these plant spirits also spread fungus-like spores along with the pollen.
