The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 147: Battle with the Tree Demon

Feng Shui Academy, inside Xuantian Pavilion. The Zen room was as quiet as a lake on an autumn night, the faint scent of sandalwood filling the air.

Elder Xuantian, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, as if penetrating the underworld of the mortal world.

He turned to look outside the door and whispered, "Tell your second senior brother Ji Chenying to come see me quickly."

The disciples outside the door immediately responded: "Yes!"

A moment later, Ji Chenying hurried into the meditation room, his breathing a little hurried, but his expression remained calm. He bowed respectfully and said, "Disciple greets Master!"

Elder Xuantian slowly took out a token engraved with the Xuantian Pavilion's seal from his sleeve and handed it to Ji Chenying. His tone was calm but unquestionable: "Take this token and ring the 'Sacred Golden Bell'."

A trace of ripples passed through Ji Chenying's eyes, but he still nodded calmly: "Disciple understands." He took the token, turned around and strode away.

After a while, the sound of the Holy Golden Bell suddenly resounded throughout the Feng Shui Academy. The sound was like thunder, and it echoed among the mountains for a long time.

The ringing of the bell caused a commotion throughout the college.

In the Baicao Garden, Elder Yaowang was explaining the method of cultivating wild ginseng to his disciples. After hearing the bell, the medicine shovel in his hand paused slightly.

He frowned, turned to look at his disciples, and ordered in a deep voice: "Everyone, stop what you are doing immediately and follow me to the main hall!"

Inside the Xuanzhen Pavilion, the formation elder was sitting in the Zen courtyard, concentrating on deducing his insights into formations.

When the bell rang, he suddenly stood up, his eyes showing deep thought. Then he waved his sleeve and said to the disciples beside him: "Put down the formation plates in your hands and assemble with me."

The elders of Sanyuan Palace and Xingchen Pavilion were also startled by the bell. They were all shocked and their faces were full of confusion. They all had deep confusion and vague uneasiness in their hearts.

But they both still followed the rules, issued orders to the disciples, and led them to the main hall.

In the Zen Hall, Elder Chanxin, who was lying on his sickbed, was awakened by the sound of the bell. His eyes were solemn, and he whispered to himself, "It seems Xuantian is about to take action."

Then, he turned around and instructed Zheng Ziyi: "Immediately order the disciples to go to the main hall, and you come and help me over."

"Master, your health condition now..." Zheng Ziyi looked worried.

Elder Chanxin's eyes sternly said, "Stop talking nonsense and do as I say!"

Zheng Ziyi didn't dare to argue anymore. He quickly helped his master up, dressed him, and headed towards the main hall.

At the same time, in the open space in front of Xuantian Pavilion, Ji Chenying had led all the disciples to gather in a solemn manner.

Elder Xuantian slowly walked out of the meditation room. His figure was hunched, but his aura was as imposing as a mountain. He glanced at each disciple and said in a voice as loud as a bell: "Follow me to the main hall!"

"Yes!" All the disciples responded in unison and followed Elder Xuantian to the main hall in an orderly manner.

Inside the main hall, the sect leader sat in the center. Listening to the sound of bells coming from afar, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Master, something bad has happened! Ji Chenying, carrying the token of Tianji Pavilion, forcibly rang the Holy Golden Bell." A disciple hurried to report.

The headmaster waved his hands and murmured, "It seems that he can no longer hold back."

Then he ordered the disciples guarding the hall: "Open the hall and wait for the elders to arrive."

...

Far away in the "Ginkgo Sea" of the ancient forest, the battle is in full swing.

Lin Xiao breathed slightly, his eyes fixed on the ancient tree spirit in front of him.

He waved his finger, and the dagger turned into a cold light, flashing towards the vines under the feet of the Ancient Tree Spirit Master like lightning.

"Swish--" The dagger accurately cut through the vine, preventing it from continuing to absorb blood to restore strength.

A trace of anger flashed in the eyes of the Ancient Tree Spiritual Venerable, and he sneered: "Ants, you dare to stop me?"

Lin Xiao's expression was stern. He shook his sword, a cold light flashing everywhere. He shouted, "Shadow Spirit Sword Stab!"

The sword light carried a cold edge, piercing towards the core of the ancient tree spirit like a ghost.

A fierce light flashed in the eyes of the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord. The vines and fallen leaves quickly condensed into a huge wooden sword amidst the dancing vines. It smiled coldly: "Falling Petals Wooden Sword!"

The wooden sword carried endless power and rushed towards Lin Xiao's sword. The two sword energies collided violently, and a yellow and white air wave burst out in an instant, shaking the surrounding ancient trees.

"Go to hell!" The ancient tree spirit roared and injected huge strength into the wooden sword.

The wooden sword suddenly gained momentum, pressing down on Lin Xiao like a tiger descending from a mountain. Lin Xiao gritted his teeth to resist, but felt the long sword in his hand gradually bend, unable to withstand this huge force.

"boom!"

With a dull thud, Lin Xiao was knocked flying along with his sword. His body crashed into several large trees along the way, and blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.

After landing, he quickly turned over and stood up, his eyes fixed on the Ancient Tree Spirit Master like a knife, and whispered to himself: "This guy, he really has hidden his strength..."

Lin Xiao flew backwards through the air, his surroundings filled with vines surging wildly, so dense that they seemed to cover the entire sky. Blood stained the corners of his mouth, but his eyes remained resolute.

Seeing this, the Ancient Tree Spirit Master laughed wildly, and the vines flew out like a dragon, roaring: "Mysterious Blood Vine Thorns!"

Vines, like living creatures, burst out of the ground and pierced Lin Xiao's figure. The tips of the vines flashed with cold light, carrying a fierce murderous intent, and in an instant, they enveloped Lin Xiao in a deadly attack.

However, the moment the vines touched Lin Xiao's body, it was as if it had hit steel, making a clanging sound and failing to penetrate at all.

Lin Xiao shouted coldly: "Blue Sky Sword Rain Weaving!"

In an instant, countless sword lights appeared behind him, like a meteor shower hanging from the sky. He waved his hand, and a rain of swords poured out, dense and dense, shooting straight at the Ancient Tree Spirit.

Seeing this, the Ancient Tree Spirit Master snorted coldly, and the vines suddenly gathered into a huge tree whip, violently sweeping towards the rain of swords in the air: "Strike the vines with great force!"

The rain of swords and the vines collided violently in the air, erupting in a dazzling light. The sword energy was dispersed, and Lin Xiao's eyes focused as the vines approached with unparalleled force.

At this critical moment, a figure identical to Lin Xiao suddenly appeared behind the Ancient Tree Spiritual Lord. He also shouted, "Blue Sky Sword Rain Weaving!"

The rain of swords appeared again, sweeping behind the Ancient Tree Spirit Master like a violent storm.

"what--!"

The Ancient Tree Spirit was caught off guard. Countless sword shadows pierced its branches and vines, sending leaves scattering across the sky and slashing its sturdy branches with holes. Its iron-hard bark actually oozed a bright red liquid, which slid down like drops of blood.

Lin Xiao sneered and thought to himself, "It seems that its previous attack consumed a lot of energy and it is no longer able to cope."

However, the Ancient Tree Spirit Master did not show any sign of retreat. Instead, he let out a thunderous roar: "The Demon King has awakened!"

As it roared, broken branches quickly regenerated, withered vines growing thicker and stronger, even sprouting more tentacles. Its trunk grew ever larger, seemingly covering the entire sky of the ancient forest.

Lin Xiao looked at the behemoth before him, his heart sinking. Two sharp sword energies burst out from his hands, aiming directly at the Ancient Tree Spiritual Venerable's vital points: "Split Sky Spirit Sword Slash!"

The sword energy streaked across the sky like a meteor, fiercely slashing at the trunk of the ancient tree spirit, but only left two insignificant scars.

The Ancient Tree Spiritual Venerable looked down at the wound and laughed wildly, "You like to chop, don't you? Today I will use your blood to water my wound!"

Lin Xiao's eyes were icy, but he paid no heed to the threat. He quickly pulled out a pot of elixir wine, drank it, and his strength surged again.

The Ancient Tree Spiritual Lord roared, and its vines coiled up like a long snake, rushing straight towards Lin Xiao:

"Thorn Strangling Judgment!"

Lin Xiao knew he couldn't just fight this move head-on, so he immediately unleashed his "Dragon Swimming Across the Seas" technique, transforming into a streak of light as he darted through the forest. The branches beneath his feet quickly retreated, and vines chased him relentlessly, seemingly endlessly.

During the chase, Lin Xiao seized the opportunity to turn around and counterattack occasionally, and a "Sword Dance" cut off the vines, but failed to cause any substantial damage to the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord.

The Ancient Tree Spirit's attacks became increasingly frantic, leaving Lin Xiao with bloody scratches from the vines, staining his clothes red. However, he remained calm and waited for the Ancient Tree Spirit to reveal a flaw.

Time flew by as the two tugged at each other, until evening, when Lin Xiao finally noticed that the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord's aura began to weaken.

Its vines shriveled, its leaves turned from emerald green to withered yellow, and its attack slowed.

Lin Xiao's eyes flashed, and he sneered, "So the side effects of 'Demon King Awakening' are so severe... Now is the day you die!"

He pressed his hands together, and a phantom clone appeared out of thin air beside him. This clone's aura was identical to Lin Xiao's. He raised his hands and shouted, "Blue Sky Sword Rain Weaving!"

The rain of swords swirled up in the sky again. Lin Xiao and his clone waved their hands at the same time. The rain of swords was like falling stars, carrying unparalleled murderous intent, pouring towards the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord.

"Mysterious Blood Vine Thorn!"

The ancient tree spirit roared, and its vines turned into thousands of sharp blades, breaking out of the ground and facing the overwhelming rain of swords with breathtaking power.

The rain of swords was like a pouring galaxy, flashing with cold light and whistling towards them.

The vines and the rain of swords intertwined and collided, and the air was filled with harsh friction sounds and the roar of metal clashing. The entire ancient forest seemed to be shaking.

Lin Xiao's eyes were like torches, his hands were clenched tightly, and he controlled the rain of swords to press down like a tide.

He said coldly: "Today is your end!"

Despite the Ancient Tree Spirit's utmost efforts, the vines were unable to withstand the fierce attack of the sword rain. In just a moment, the sword rain gained the upper hand, tearing through the last line of vine defense with overwhelming force.

"Pfft-"

Countless sword shadows penetrated the Ancient Tree Spirit's body without hindrance. Its massive trunk was pierced and filled with long swords flashing with cold light.

The bright red blood slowly flowed down the sword and dripped onto the withered yellow leaves.

The Ancient Tree Spirit Venerable hunched over his huge body, his eyes gradually dimming, and his voice was low and hoarse: "I... really tried my best..."

Before he could finish his words, it fell to the ground like a collapsed tower, shaking the earth and raising a cloud of dust.

Lin Xiao took a step back and quickly performed the "Eight Diagrams Sword Formation Defense", using the sword energy to form a barrier to block the flying dust out.

As the dust gradually dissipated, the huge body of the Ancient Tree Spirit began to emit a faint light, and the trunk and branches slowly disappeared, eventually condensing into a small wooden sword the size of a palm.

The wooden sword floated in the air, a faint aura surrounding it, as if it were made by nature. Lin Xiao reached out, grasped it, and gently removed it. He examined the sword carefully. The blade was as smooth as jade, faintly emitting a powerful aura of life.

"This treasure..." Lin Xiao muttered to himself, with a hint of doubt in his eyes, "I wonder what's so magical about it."

He put the wooden sword in his arms, took a deep breath, turned around and left the battlefield, his steps light but alert. His figure gradually disappeared into the depths of the dense forest, and finally chose to hide in a cave.

In the distance, Haotian Tianniu by the Ginkgo Sea stood quietly on the branch of a huge ginkgo tree, gazing at the direction of the battlefield with a sad look.

Its eyes sparkled with tears, and its chest heaved violently. It was an indescribable pain, its beloved friend perished in this way, killed by a human sword.

"Brother Gushu..." Haotian Tianniu murmured softly, its voice filled with endless sorrow.

Its tentacles trembled slightly, and its eyes were filled with struggle and anger, but in the end it did not take a step towards revenge.

It slowly turned around, and its huge body shuttled between the ginkgo trees, dragging its heavy steps and disappearing into the depths of the ginkgo sea.

...

While Lin Xiao was fighting with the Ancient Tree Spirit Lord, at the entrance to the middle level of the ancient forest, Ye Xuan walked quickly with sharp eyes.

He cut through the bushes and hurled himself through the jungle.

As soon as he entered the middle gate, he saw a group of monks fleeing in panic. Many of their faces were filled with fear and despair, and they didn't even bother to look back at the pursuers behind them.

Ye Xuan frowned, feeling a sense of unease. He quickly stopped a Jiayin Fourth Realm cultivator and demanded, "What happened? Why are you so flustered? Have you seen a boy of seventeen or eighteen?"

The monk gasped, his face pale. "The Ancient Tree Spiritual Venerable has gone mad! It wants to slaughter all the human monks in the middle level! Forget about the young man, run away!"

Ye Xuan's heart trembled, and his eyes suddenly turned cold. He waved his hand to push the monk away, gritting his teeth and saying, "Lin Xiao must be here! I must find him!"

Without any further hesitation, he turned into a shadow and rushed in the opposite direction of the monk's escape, as fast as lightning.

Elsewhere on the middle level, Zhang Ning and the Shadow Monkey King were hiding in a giant tree with lush branches and leaves.

They stared at the dense forest ahead with bright eyes, waiting quietly for their prey to approach like hunters.

Soon after, a demon monkey came running over and bowed, "Your Majesty, Ye Xuan's whereabouts have been discovered, and he is approaching this way."

Zhang Ning stood up excitedly, his fists clenched, his eyes gleaming with a fiery fighting spirit. He couldn't wait to say, "It's him! He's finally here!"

The Shadow Monkey King was much calmer, and whispered to the demon monkey, "Lead the way."

"Yes!" The monkey obeyed the order and jumped away into the dense forest.

After a while, a familiar figure appeared in the sight of Zhang Ning and the Monkey King. Ye Xuan walked hurriedly, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

Zhang Ning's eyes were blazing, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth. He whispered, "The opportunity has come!"

Then, he suddenly jumped down from the branch, clasped his hands together, and the star power in his body quickly condensed.

"Heavenly Secret Star Change!"

I saw a bright starlight coming out from Zhang Ning's hand, turning into a sky full of stars, rushing towards Ye Xuan with overwhelming force!

Ye Xuan's eyes suddenly went dark, and darkness enveloped him. Twenty stars appeared in the sky, flickering intermittently, and each time they flickered, a blade of light shot out like an arrow.

An "ice shield" instantly appeared in front of him, blocking the flying light blade.

"Tianji Xingchen Change? Who are you?" Ye Xuan recognized the move and asked in surprise.