238: The Giant Tree's Request

Just as Qin Feng and the others turned to flee, another transformation occurred!

"Rumble—!"

The ground shook violently, as if a colossal being was approaching at an incredible speed. Everyone turned back in horror to see the dense forest on the other side of the clearing being parted like by an invisible giant hand, and an even more massive shadow descended with a crash, its footsteps making the earth groan!

It was a... giant tree that was hard to describe accurately in words. Its trunk was ten meters tall, its entire body a pale grey that had settled over endless years. The natural patterns on the bark faintly formed the outlines of armor and a faceplate, emitting a cold, hard metallic luster. It didn't have ordinary branches; instead, dozens of dark brown vines, as thick as buckets and covered in wooden scales, moved flexibly like giant pythons, slowly dancing in the air, each radiating a suffocating sense of power. Most heart-shaking of all, in the upper-middle part of its trunk, two points of dark red light like lava slowly lit up, filled with ancient majesty and a currently burning rage!

The aura of this "Giant Treant" was like a mountain, a peak, an abyss, and a sea, far exceeding that of the early-stage Martial Emperor giant bear from before! Simply by standing there, the pressure it emitted solidified the air, causing the surviving Yao Beasts in the distance to collapse to the ground, trembling and not even daring to let out a whimper.

The giant bear, which had been preparing to deliver the final blow to the injured tree spirit and seize the spiritual honey core, also stopped abruptly and turned its head in shock. When its crimson eyes met the Giant Treant's lava-like gaze, an extreme fear rooted in Bloodline instinct—the fear of facing a higher-level predator—instantly seized it! Its previous frenzy and greed vanished without a trace, and it let out a short, panicked roar, unhesitatingly abandoning the "spoils of war" right before its eyes, and turned to flee toward the other side of the forest on all fours!

However, it was already too late.

The Giant Treant didn't even take a step to give chase. Several of the dancing vines on its trunk split off, crossing dozens of meters like a teleportation, moving so fast they only left afterimages in the air, instantly entangling the giant bear's thick hind legs, waist, and forelimbs!

"Roar—!!!" The giant bear roared in shock and anger, its entire body's earth-yellow Yao power exploding frantically, its muscles bulging as it tried to snap these seemingly "weak" vines. With its Martial Emperor-level strength, it was enough to shatter refined steel!

But those dark brown vines only glowed slightly, revealing even more complex and ancient wooden patterns, and remained motionless. Instead, they tightened and constricted like living things! The giant bear's brute force, capable of splitting mountains and cracking stones, was like a clay ox entering the sea before these vines!

Next, the Giant Treant moved. Its giant foot (or rather, its mobile root disk), composed of countless gnarled roots, lifted and slowly stepped down toward the giant bear held fast by the vines, carrying a will that crushed everything and an indescribable sense of weight!

The movement didn't seem fast, yet it contained a certain "momentum" that sealed off all the giant bear's space to evade.

"Roar—!!!" The last thing reflected in the giant bear's eyes was the bottom of that tree foot, which blotted out the sky and was covered in ancient moss and fissures.

"Squelch—!!!"

A dull sound that set teeth on edge and made hearts skip a beat. There was no world-shaking explosion, only a pure, overwhelming manifestation of power.

The giant bear's powerful Martial Emperor-level Physical Body, along with its erupting protective Yao power, was instantly crushed like a squashed berry under that giant foot, which seemed to carry the weight of the entire forest! Flesh, bone, and internal organs mixed with soil were stepped deep into the ground, forming a terrifying depression. In its place, only a patch of unrecognizable mangled meat and spreading crimson remained.

One foot! With just one foot, it had stepped a Martial Emperor-level Yao Beast into a meat patty!

This scene was deeply etched into the eyes of Qin Feng and the others, bringing an unparalleled visual impact and Soul-shaking shock.

"My god..." Xia Ya sucked in a cold breath, her voice dry, her palms holding the giant shield covered in cold sweat.

"Run!" Qin Feng snapped out of his shock and barked in a low voice. This Giant Treant was too terrifying! It was definitely not something they could contend with; staying here for even a moment longer was seeking death!

Everyone once again burst out with their limit speed, retreating frantically.

However, just as they had covered less than a hundred feet—

"Swish!" "Swish!" "Swish!"

Several vines that were still dancing in the distance earlier, like living tentacles, actually arrived first. With incredible speed and precision, they instantly appeared in front of them and to their sides. They didn't attack but wove into a sparse yet inescapable wooden cage, completely sealing off all their paths for advancing or moving sideways! The ancient patterns flowing on the vines glowed slightly, emitting an indestructible aura.

Qin Feng stopped abruptly, the ink plum sword instantly unsheathed by half an inch, its Sword Intent held back but ready. Tao Yuanyi held his spear horizontally, his expression more solemn than ever before. Cold Peach Blossom and Xia Ya protected Xiaochun and Ji Ruxue on either side, weapons in hand, their auras ice-cold.

In this tense, hair-trigger moment of dead silence, a low, deep voice, as if countless ancient trees were resonating simultaneously, echoed directly in all their minds:

"Humans... stop."

The voice wasn't violent; instead, it carried a weariness that suppressed pain and a hint of... pleading?

Qin Feng's heart jolted. He signaled the others to stay calm and responded in a deep voice toward the vine cage in front of him, and also toward the Giant Treant that was slowly turning its "body" (adjusting its direction with its mobile root disk): "What is Senior's intention? We are only passing through this place and have no intention of offending you, let alone daring to be Senior's enemy."

The two points of dark red light in the Giant Treant's lava-like gaze fell upon them, staying on Xiaochun for an exceptionally long time. It seemed to sense the pure and majestic vitality on Xiaochun that faintly resonated with all things in the forest.

"I... am the Guardian Guard of the Ancient Wood Deep Forest." That ancient voice sounded again, carrying a trace of imperceptible weakness and urgency. "I felt it... among you, there is an extremely pure wood-attribute spiritual rhythm that can communicate with the plant Origin..."

Its "gaze" locked tightly onto Xiaochun: "I mean no ill will... I swear by the ancient will of this forest."

The Giant Treant's voice paused. The suppressed pain seemed more obvious now, and one could even see slight, abnormal cracks appearing on certain parts of the pale grey bark on its trunk, with bits of dark green sap seeping out.

"I request you... save my junior..."

It turned slightly, revealing the center of the messy clearing behind it, where that Half-step Martial Emperor tree spirit lay, beaten until its branches were broken, its trunk cracked, green sap constantly gushing out, its aura dying, only able to let out a faint, mournful cry.

"It... is my offspring, and also the young guardian of this area. That intruding 'Mountain-Moving Violent Bear'... somehow obtained an Opportunity, broke through to the Emperor rank, and coveted the 'Earth Vein Golden Stamen Honey' that my child had guarded for three hundred years, attacking the hive and heavily injuring it..."

The Guardian Guard's voice carried deep sorrow and anger, but more of it was a kind of hope born out of near-despair.

"Ordinary medicine, or even the Medicinal Pills of you human Alchemists, have little effect on us plants, and may even be harmful... Only the purest, most compatible Origin Wood Spirit power, containing the vitality of creation, can possibly stabilize its injuries and awaken its dormant core of life..."

"I... can feel that kind of power on you." Its "gaze" fell on Xiaochun like something physical, the lava-like red light fluctuating slightly. "Please... save it. In return... the Ancient Wood Deep Forest will remember this kindness. You may make a request within my power that does not violate the forest's will, or... gain safe passage through this forest."

The air was deathly silent.

Everyone, including Qin Feng, was stunned by this sudden turn of events and the "request" from this terrifying existence.

One second it was a forest giant capable of destroying heaven and earth and stepping a Martial Emperor violent bear to death, and the next second it was making a plea to save its child to a group of "weak" humans with such a low posture?

And the key actually fell on Xiaochun, who possessed the Myriad Medicine Body, carried the northern darkness star essence pearl, and was naturally close to plants!"}],