Shu Han and Wei Haolong were trapped within the realm of a tree birthed from a seed.
The ancient tree radiated a terrifying white glow.
Sensing impending danger, Shu Han hurriedly pulled Wei Haolong close and shouted, "Old Wei! Quickly, lend me all your spiritual power!"
Having exhausted a great deal of his own spiritual power just moments ago, and seeing the gravity of the situation, Wei Haolong didn't hesitate. He placed one hand on Shu Han's back, infusing him with a surge of his own spiritual power.
Shu Han gripped the Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword, instantaneously unfolding its eight-winged blade. The wings closed around them, shielding them both.
Immediately afterward, Shu Han activated the Heavenly Feather White Phoenix Armor. Pristine white feathers burst forth from a seal on his shoulder, and in an instant, they overlaid the eight-winged blade, forming an impenetrable white-feathered barrier.
Boom!
The ancient tree's white light flickered wildly, culminating in an unparalleled explosion that lit up the sky above the forest. The shockwave from the blast repelled Xigu's avatar a hundred meters away.
Watching the luminous waves of the explosion ascend, eventually turning into pure droplets that gently rained down, nourishing the forest below, a soft smile danced on the corners of Xigu's lips. "You despicable Fiery Cloud Instant Sect cultivators will now become nourishment for the ancestral tree, forever bound to the Southern Forest."
Suddenly, a bolt of white lightning shot out from the luminous waves, striking the unprepared Xigu avatar directly. The avatar was enveloped by the white lightning, rendering it immobile as its inner spiritual power rapidly dissipated.
Whoosh!
A pair of pristine wings swiftly spread open. Shu Han and Wei Haolong, though looking pallid, remained unharmed.
Xigu stared, eyes bulging in disbelief, "How is this possible? A mere Foundation Establishment phase cultivator shouldn't survive under a forbidden tool derived from the ancestral tree's seed!"
Suddenly, her gaze settled on the pristine wings surrounding Shu Han, murmuring, "This is..."
Swish!
An Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword charged without mercy straight toward her.
The Xigu avatar mustered all her strength to free herself from the engulfing chaotic lightning, conjuring a green wooden shield to protect herself.
As the Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword struck the wooden shield, it only left a shallow mark. Meanwhile, another green seed silently landed in Xigu's hand, ready to be unleashed.
Shu Han's pupils constricted. There's another one!
He withdrew his Eight-Direction Evil-Breaking Sword and said to Wei Haolong, "We can't get entangled with her! She has too many forbidden artifacts. Even if it's just her avatar, we're no match for her! Let's split up!"
"Split up?"
Wei Haolong said with concern, "Can you handle it if we split? I've already mastered the Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique. They can't detect me in this forest. Haven't you learned it yet?"
"Do you think I need your worry? Just run!"
Hearing this, Wei Haolong didn't hesitate any longer, "I know you're tough! Damn it, when we get back, I'll ask the sect leader and my father to act. We'll wipe out this damned Forest Tribe!"
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With that said, he immediately turned into a streak of fiery light, shooting in the opposite direction of Shu Han.
Shu Han also transformed into a stream of light, heading northward.
Seeing the two flee in opposite directions, one to the south and the other to the north, Xigu frowned. Her hair danced wildly in the air due to her anger. Was she really going to let one of them escape?
She made a swift decision in her heart, choosing to chase after Shu Han, who seemed more enigmatic.
Because Shu Han had chosen the correct direction, Wei Haolong, heading south, would only delve deeper into the heart of the Forest Tribe territory. It was only a matter of time before he would be captured.
Moreover, the white feathered inner armor that Shu Han had displayed had left a deep impression on her.
Possessing such a valuable artifact hinted at Shu Han's significant background. He might be an important figure within the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. If she captured him, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect might be forced to tread lightly.
Using his Shrinking Earth into Inches technique to its utmost, Shu Han didn't dare to be careless, even when facing a weakened avatar. Especially given the tricky and mysterious methods of the Forest Tribe, one could never predict their strange moves.
Soon, he felt Xigu's avatar relentlessly pursuing him from behind.
"So, she's indeed after me!"
Shu Han had speculated earlier that after he was forced to use the Heavenly Feather White Phoenix Armor, the Core Formation priestess must've seen its significance.
She was only in the early stages of Core Formation, but the Armor was a peak middle-stage artifact. It was logical for her to covet it and prioritize hunting him down.
However, using a weakened avatar to hunt him down was a grave mistake. Shu Han was confident in his Sixfold Shadow Escape technique, a profound escape method. Even if Xigu herself came, he was confident he could evade her. This was why Shu Han suggested splitting up – with Wei Haolong around, he couldn't effectively use such secretive techniques.
The two of them, one chasing the other, had already traversed hundreds of miles above the forest in a flash.
Xigu's eyebrows furrowed deeply. Not only was she unable to widen the gap between their speeds, but she also noticed that, despite Shu Han's full-speed flight, his spiritual power showed no signs of depletion. It seemed as if his spiritual power was boundless.
On the other hand, the spiritual power of her avatar was rapidly decreasing, and soon wouldn't be able to maintain such a high speed.
"This youngster must not escape! If he reaches the Core Formation stage in the future, he will certainly become a great enemy to our tribe! Even if it means sacrificing this avatar, I must capture him!"
In an instant, a thick wood-element aura surged around Xigu. As this aura emerged, it ignited around her. Xigu began to burn her own divine wood avatar, temporarily exchanging it for an extreme boost in spiritual power, almost matching her original cultivation.
Whizz!
A burst of acceleration resonated through the air. Shu Han felt a chill down his spine, and upon turning around, he saw Xigu enveloped in intense flames, quickly closing the distance.
"Damn! An avatar can be this fast?!"
Shu Han was taken aback and didn't hesitate any longer. He directly employed the Six Unions Shadow Escape technique. In a blink, his swiftly moving figure started to blur, appearing as if several figures were superimposed within him.
Xigu's dark green eyes observed Shu Han's strange behavior, sensing something was amiss. She surmised that in this situation, he was certainly trying his best to escape. Was this some secret escape technique?
"You won't get away!"
Whoosh!
Xigu's entire being was like boiling oil set aflame, burning ferociously. Starting from her delicate ankles, she began to turn into ashes.
Witnessing this, Shu Han's urge to escape intensified.
Has this woman gone mad? Is she abandoning her painstakingly cultivated avatar?
Shu Han knew that avatars cultivated by practitioners in the cultivation world were extremely precious. His own Triple Rotation Avatar Technique was an anomaly, where self-destruction only harmed his vitality and spiritual power. Other cultivators' avatars took decades of hard work to form. They couldn't just be casually discarded!
Suddenly, Shu Han split into six, each heading in different directions at high speed.
The flames on Xigu grew even more intense, yet her face exuded infinite devotion.
"Life is endless, the eternal forest remains!"
Her avatar transformed into a delicate ancient wood, which instantly burned to ashes.
Suddenly, a white light wave burst from her remains, moving faster than Shu Han's Six Unions Shadow Escape, enveloping everything around in a peculiar realm.
Within this domain, all of Shu Han's avatars were immobilized. Trees began to sprout wildly, extracting nourishment from his body and emerging from his chest. Watching these ever-growing saplings, Shu Han was horrified. What kind of eerie technique was this?
He tried to use his spiritual power to repel this strangeness, but the more spiritual power he used, the faster the saplings grew.
Soon, all his other avatars were consumed by the saplings, turning into pure nutrients.
Damn it!