C1311 The Divine Tree Grew Crazily
Her Majesty, the empress, stood her ground, her vitality visibly waning, yet she emanated danger.
Her Solar Spirit burst forth from within her and in a mere moment, it reached the scene, blending into the cataclysmic inferno.
The cries of the greylag grew sharper as it hastened towards her with relentless vigor.
With narrowed eyes, she awaited coldly.
Yu Yuan traced her gaze and suddenly noticed that the space where she and Brie were locked in combat was growing increasingly indistinct.
"He has already let go. Why persist?"
Beru of the Starborn gave a wry smile, attempting to mediate the situation.
Chen Qinghuang responded without emotion, "I simply refuse to spread death throughout the Shadowkin Domain, to extinguish all life. Yet, since I've been challenged, I must respond."
Upon hearing her words, Yan Qiling, Leo, and the others grew more somber.
A question arose collectively in their minds—just how much of her power had she regained?
From her statements and her tendency to fall into deep slumber, it was clear she was nowhere near her peak, far from the zenith she achieved a hundred thousand years ago.
Yet, knowing full well that Brie was a tenth-level Mighty, she was prepared to respond!
Could it be that, even without her full strength, she possessed a might rivaling Brie's?
Boom!
A fierce explosion of flames suddenly seized everyone's attention, drawing their gazes away.
In the Spirit World, Zhu Huan's Divine Visage, akin to a Fire Star, was finally pierced by the sharp branches of the Uxthar Tree, unleashing a world-shattering wave of fire.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The cold, hard earth fissured, revealing deep chasms from which lava surged.
Chunks of fiery, jade-like spiritual energy crystals bobbed in the lava before vanishing into the heart of the Spirit World.
The bright, crimson flames dimmed, and the esoteric essence of the fire magic began to dissipate.
Practitioners of fire magic, like Xu Jingyao, could discern within those flames the arcane spells of the Sunlit Order and the soul-cultivating techniques mastered by Zhu Huan.
But now, Zhu Huan's presence, the essence of his flesh, and the ripples of his soul were nearly imperceptible.
"Brother Zhu, this is farewell..."
Wei Zhuo, concealed within the thunder vortex, his stern face softened with a touch of sorrow. "Young Xu, my sympathies."
Following the passing of Lee Tianxin, another prominent cultivator from the Sunlit Order met his demise.
At the heart of the Spirit World, there seemed to be a mysterious force that swiftly absorbed all the fiery crystals, streams of red flames, molten lava, and the principles of fire magic.
The Uxthar Tree, meanwhile, visibly soared upwards, reaching a height well over ten thousand meters!
The death of Zhu Huan appeared to catalyze a transformative change in the "Uxthar Tree," leading to a significant breakthrough!
Its branches, as they lunged at the Abyssal Winged Lizard, seemed imbued with divine strength!
Crack!
The first of the Abyssal Winged Lizard's scales, as hard as a divine iron shield, burst apart!
Then came the second and third scales, shattering in succession!
With the breach in its scales, more sharp branches seized the moment and penetrated the ninth-level alien beast's flesh.
What followed was a remarkable sight.
The robust branches of the divine tree, aglow with an inner light, siphoned blood and flesh from the massive body of the Abyssal Winged Lizard.
In a matter of moments, the thousand-meter-long creature had noticeably withered.
Zhu Huan's demise had instantaneously amplified the might of the Uxthar Tree, endowing it with the power to pierce through the beast's armored scales.
Once its armor was compromised, the Abyssal Winged Lizard, now trapped in the Spirit World, became easy prey.
Its vast body, in this instant, turned into a target, repeatedly penetrated by the relentless branches.
It cried out in agony, its eyes flickering with lucidity as it fixed its gaze on Chen Qinghuang, who stood aloft in the void, as if begging for the empress's aid.
The innate fear etched into its bloodline made it acutely aware of the significance of the empress above.
She was an ancient being, one that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the origin of its lineage, perhaps even surpassing it in strength.
The genetic memories deep within its bloodline made it clear that only Chen Qinghuang could offer a sliver of hope for escape.
Regrettably, Chen Qinghuang turned a blind eye to its plight.
"So fast!"
Yan Qiling exclaimed, as the Imperial Envoy manipulated the Lunar Meteorite, elevating everyone significantly.
They found themselves at the same altitude as Yu Yuan and Chen Qinghuang.
This was because, after the branches, sharp as Divine Swords, pierced through the massive body of the Abyssal Winged Lizard, they shot upwards at a terrifying pace!
In the blink of an eye, the Uxthar Tree had soared to fifteen thousand meters, its apex nearly piercing the meteorite upon which they stood.
It seemed as though the divine tree was deliberately targeting them, its pointed tip tracking their location and forcing them to leap to safety.
They believed that only by staying near the enigmatic Empress could they find solace.
With a whoosh, a bolt of lightning struck.
A massive greylag, spanning two thousand meters with its broad wings, gazed up at the Empress hovering above with adoring eyes, emitting a cry of pure joy.
Chen Qinghuang's real body had one eye as dark as ink, the other a peculiar shade of grayish white.
The usual chill of her expression had softened, and the corners of her mouth had curved into a slight smile.
She glided through the void with ease, alighting atop the greylag's head as if she were the eternal master of this ninth-level alien beast.
In that moment, Yu Yuan sensed that the other version of her, locked in battle with Brie, could merge with her at any instant.
She could also fuse with the Solar Spirit in the next breath, engaging the current Shadowkin chieftain with a surge of explosive power.
It seemed that with a mere thought, she could achieve the impossible.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Hundreds of miles away in the Star River, a two-thousand-meter-tall snow mountain, draped in a cloak of silver, emerged and hurtled toward them.
Even at a great distance, the inhabitants of the Spirit World's skies felt the chill.
A fierce, icy wind howled ahead of the snow mountain, sweeping across the Spirit World.
The flora of the Spirit World succumbed to the frost; the more delicate plants shattered into a carpet of ice flowers.
Beneath the Uxthar Tree, Diggs of the Shadowkin glowered upwards at Chen Qinghuang with rage.
Above the Lunar Meteorite, Moore of the Frostfiends shifted subtly, his aura releasing faint strands of icy magic power as if he were quietly attuning to something.
"Hmm?"
Yu Yuan exclaimed, his attention captured by the snow mountain, from which he detected the scent of a living creature.
A colossal being was concealed within!
"The second one I've been waiting for—it's that one," Chen Qinghuang stated coolly.
"Is that it?"
Yu Yuan was taken aback. He had assumed that the Empress was talking about the greylag.
"The snow bear!"
Moore's face paled as he came to a sudden realization of what the snow mountain truly was.
Boom!
A snowflake as large as a fist burst forth from the "snow mountain," targeting the Spirit World with precision before blanketing the sky.
As the snowflakes descended, numerous delicate plants froze and shattered.
A colossal snow bear emerged, pounding its chest, its eyes like icy orbs, radiating ferocity and malice.
"Yet another ninth-level extraterrestrial alien beast."
Yu Yuan had become desensitized to such occurrences and felt no surprise. He simply observed the massive snow bear charging towards the Spirit World, refraining from any superfluous actions.
Chen Qinghuang did the same.
"It's conscious," Beru exclaimed, astonished.
"I'm in the vicinity," Chen Qinghuang declared with a hint of arrogance.
Her statement implied that as long as she was near the Spirit World and exuded her distinct presence, higher-tier alien beasts like the Abyssal Winged Lizard and the snow bear would, out of fear for her, break free from the Voidweaver's illusions.
Yet, if this snow bear was indeed conscious, why did it continue its assault on the Spirit World?
Moreover, it had preemptively scattered snowflakes to attack the vegetation of the Spirit World.
This was an unmistakable challenge!
