Yake lowered his rifle and, standing outside the circle of Undead with Wei Huan, looked at Denton, who was trapped like a cornered beast. Then, following Denton's look of bone-deep hatred, Yake's gaze settled on Wei Huan.
Wei Huan also felt the intense hatred aimed at him. After a moment of thought, he asked: "Who are you?"
"Hehehe, hehehehe, hahahaha!!!" Denton's laughter started small, grew, and became hysterically distorted. But the next second, the laughter abruptly vanished. Staring intently at Wei Huan, he said, "Who am I? Your grim reaper!"
With that, Denton ignored the bites of the Undead and lunged directly at Wei Huan.
The man who moments ago had been beaten and was crawling on the floor now gave Wei Huan a chilling sensation. Looking at Denton's increasingly twisted and hunched body, the numerous bone spurs protruding from his skin, and the hazy shape outlined by the dense black fog gathering above his head—what felt dangerous was the entity within that black mist.
Wei Huan recalled Aglis's mention that the Sleepless, starting from Sequence Four Fallen Witch, would begin contact with demons from the dark depths. Demons favored souls tormented by suffering and pain, and this Denton seemed to be a favorite of the demons. Demonic power allowed him to gain the ability of Demonic Descent, temporarily elevating him by a tier to achieve Sequence Six.
This meant this guy might be comparable to the maddened Moon Herder Great Priest, or perhaps even a little stronger? Wei Huan could feel the threat from the opponent, but it was only a slight threat.
Bring it on! Although he didn't know why this guy hated him so much, it was just another fight. He had never lost a battle, whether one-on-one or a group attack. It was time to fight!!
Wei Huan was too lazy to even ask for a reason. The portal behind him opened, and the Undead army surged out like a wave.
The demonic shadow behind Denton became clearer, revealing a blurry outline of a demon nearly a hundred meters tall. Its appearance was still indistinct, but its aura was evil and powerful, radiating the suppression of a higher life tier. However, it was far inferior to the True Form of the Dark Beast Royalty.
The Undead army covered the entire tunnel, crawling onto Denton's body and tearing at him. The behemoth above Denton roared and clawed, causing the Undead army to die in droves. Amidst the continuous roars, stones crumbled, and the ground shook.
Wei Huan glanced at the precarious ceiling and said to Yake: "Let's move outside first."
Fighting under the collapsed rubble was indeed dangerous. Without Captain Fang's invincible halo this time, they might not withstand the crushing weight. This was not a suitable place for combat.
However, the retreat was only for Wei Huan and Yake. Undead continued to pour out of the portal following Wei Huan, maintaining the pressure. Yake's eyes remained gold, focused on the battle in the tunnel. He fired shots occasionally, compensating for the lack of concentrated force in Wei Huan's offense.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo!"
"Awooo!"
"Bang!!"
A succession of explosions ripped through the tunnel, accompanied by the muffled groans Denton occasionally let out amid the falling rocks. This Denton was not just beaten badly; he was suffering miserably. But truthfully, even though his means of attack were somewhat singular after the Demonic Descent—perhaps limited by the tunnel environment, forcing him to take a beating—this guy was incredibly durable.
The demon seemed to have granted him the physical body of a Sequence Six entity. Even Yake, whose long-range attacks were the strongest, could only manage to breach his defense, not kill him. Even the highest attacking Shura Horse in the Undead army only left bloody gashes on Denton's body, only to be torn apart by a casual swing of the demonic True Form.
Of course, the sheer number of Undead also prevented Denton from attacking Wei Huan's main body. Aside from impotent rage, all he accumulated were more and more wounds, bleeding profusely.
Wei Huan had retreated to the limit of his summoning range. If he retreated any further, the Undead currently clinging to Denton would return to the Great Tomb. Here, not too far from the exit, the two men stopped, their faces serious.
"His defense is very high, but I brought an Angel's Spear Scroll." Yake looked at Wei Huan. Yake's talent was unique, making the Angel's Spear Scroll a perfect trump card for him. However, at a cost of 100,000 DKP, it wasn't easy for an individual to acquire one. If he used it, Wei Huan would owe him a huge favor.
"Wait a moment," Wei Huan declined. It wasn't because he was soft-hearted; he would absolutely not let someone who wanted to kill him live. "Let's wear him down a bit more." The Necromancer was a profession built on attrition. Wei Huan was not afraid of such a standoff.
However.
Yake reminded Wei Huan: "Aglis has already passed through. She might complete this assessment at any time."
Wei Huan considered this, then looked up at the ceiling: "Use it."
No matter what, he couldn't let the person who wanted to kill him live, especially since this guy seemed to have mastered a cryptic advancement channel. There was no need to keep him alive to investigate the cause and effect. With his death, all matters would cease. There were plenty of people who hated him, disliked him, loved him, and liked him; one more or one less didn't matter.
Yake nodded. He pulled out the Angel's Spear Scroll. As his Eagle Eye settled above Denton's head, immense magical power also converged there.
At this moment, outside the black mountain.
A massive hole appeared in the blood-colored sky, startling those rushing back to complete their mission. The fractured firmament revealed a golden spear, descending as if to pierce the heavens, aiming right at the core of the black mountain.
Aglis was manipulating the Moon Herder ancient sailboat with her people, encircling and purifying the Sacred Sapling. The other Sun Herder ancient sailboat was controlled by the Daxia captains. Captain Fang held the sapling to his chest, sitting cross-legged on the ground. The purple spots on the sapling's roots were slowly fading. The purification was reaching its end.
The anomaly in the sky made them all frown and look up.
"Angel's Spear!?" Someone recognized the source of the commotion immediately.
Others, who had never seen it, asked: "What is that? A new trial?"
Only Aglis's face was grim: "Stop! Yake might be in trouble." She was the one who gave Yake the Angel's Spear Scroll. If nothing urgent had happened, Yake would never have used his trump card.
Unfortunately, it was slightly too late. The power of purification settled upon the Sacred Sapling. The last trace of purple on the contaminated root faded. The Sacred Sapling seemed reborn, its leaves swaying, emitting a green glow. All purple contamination within a thousand meters vanished, and the power of purification continued to spread outward.
Everyone in the surrounding circle was instantly bathed in the green light. The power of nature invigorated the energy in their bodies. It was as comfortable as a cool breeze in summer or a warm sun in winter. At the same time, their realms were increasing bit by bit.
Aglis found herself unable to move while shrouded in the green light. She could only watch helplessly as the spear that broke the sky plunged straight into the black mountain, where it vanished.
The next second.
A deafening "RUMBLE" exploded from inside the mountain. Aglis watched with wide eyes as the mountain collapsed and dust billowed. Amidst the roaring sound, the place collapsed once again.
Immediately after, Aglis's vision blurred, and she found herself back in her war machine. The people inside the vehicle looked at her return with surprise. But as soon as she regained control of her body, she sprang up, transformed into a mist of blood, and rushed out of the vehicle, leaving only a whisper: "Yake..."
The second-in-command on Aglis's vehicle, the grandson of the Aosam councilman, instantly looked distraught, cursed a word under his breath, and then chased after her. He followed the blood mist to the underground city, where he saw Aglis knock on a vehicle door in a newly built parking lot and rush inside. The second-in-command raised an eyebrow, picked up his communicator, and said expressionlessly: "We've found the wanted man Yake. He's on the first underground floor of Peanut City. Don't rush over. Have the people on Blue Star guard the beacon. We must catch him this time..."
...
Wei Huan knew he was immobile, realizing he was about to return. He blinked, and the green flame in his left eye slowly vanished.
The descending Angel's Spear completely pierced Denton's body from top to bottom. Amidst his painful screams, it pinned Denton deep underground. Even the demonic True Form he possessed instantly dissipated, vanishing into a swirling black wind. The power of the Angel's Spear did not diminish. It heavily struck the building's hard sub-shell. The resulting impact affected the already collapsed rubble.
The second collapse occurred.
Huge falling rocks smashed down. While flattening the Demon Eye Lord Wei Huan was possessing, they also buried Denton deep underground. The screams stopped abruptly, and there was no further sound.
Then, as the collapse spread towards them, he was teleported away from the testing ground. He opened his eyes and was back in the war machine's commander room. Or rather, back in the place where the giant statue was shattered before.
However, Wei Huan paused in silence as he looked at the corpse that had appeared at his feet. How had the already dead Cynthia followed him back here?
Was it because the corpse couldn't be teleported, but having been continuously captured by his ability, it was teleported back with him?
Wei Huan thought of something and suddenly called out: "Butler."
"I am here, Commander. You have returned. Should I notify the Vice Commander?"
"Yes." Wei Huan immediately added, "This person has some items on her. Can you retrieve them? They are currently in her portable space."
"Yes, Commander. She has no life signs. Her portable space is ownerless. I can open her space."
He had to be fast! Corpses in the Challenger World would vanish. Once they vanished, the signal source would be lost, making tracking impossible. Less than two seconds after the Butler completed the transfer, Cynthia's corpse vanished, along with the blood flowing from her. It was as if the person had been completely erased from this world. She was gone from the Challenger World and gone forever from Blue Star. Her war machine would be recalled by the Challenger World, leaving very little time for her crew to escape.
Just then, footsteps approached.
"Wei Huan!"
Wei Huan turned and smiled at Mu Zhong, who pushed the door open. His feet were clean; he had also returned fully loaded.
...
After a brief chat with Mu Zhong, the two got down to business: cleaning up the spoils of war. Wei Huan's journey had been very rewarding this time.
The most obvious were the seven leaves. They helped Wei Huan complete seven moments of epiphany in just three days, allowing him to continuously delve deeper into the origin of Nether Power. Like a great dream, he saw a slumbering deity in the depths of the law, an immense body like the universe itself, whose every breath caused countless stars to be destroyed and born. The dense Nether Power was so pure it flowed like a great river.
What Wei Huan gained was not just seven epiphanies, but a journey to the origin, which would have endless benefits for his future cultivation. In the days following, even though he was constantly traveling and not actively cultivating, his progress was like a massive river, increasing his realm faster than when he was diligently focused on cultivation. Catching up and surpassing the main force was only a matter of time. Crucially, Wei Huan had consumed a Diamond-grade Awakening Potion upon awakening, so he wouldn't need to worry about Tier Advancement Potions until Tier Seven, naturally advancing to [Disaster Apostle].
"And this." Mu Zhong said, retrieving an item from the warehouse. He held three emerald-green fruits, the size of olives, in his palm, wreathed in a faint green glow. They looked extraordinary.
Mu Zhong focused his gaze, murmuring: "Fruit of the Tree of Nature. Blessed by the Goddess of Nature. Consuming it allows for greater closeness to nature and better comprehension of nature."
Wei Huan nodded: "They're yours."
Mu Zhong's Shaman Priest path utilized the power of nature, so the fruits would be useless to others. As for the fruits, they clearly came from Cynthia. Before he killed Denton, he heard Cynthia mention "fruit," which must have referred to this.
As the Challenger World developed, everyone was looking for ways to accelerate cultivation. To date, this was the first time a natural treasure explicitly stated it could increase natural affinity. No wonder Denton and Cynthia turned against each other, costing them their lives. Furthermore, the confrontation between Aglis's and Liyav's factions earlier also seemed to mention fruit.
Was the fruit they mentioned the same one? Having gone through a time travel experience, how did two items from different timelines intertwine? Also, how did Denton and Cynthia acquire these things?
Some secrets are impossible to uncover with the death of the people involved. The only regret was that Denton probably had a few more of these excellent items on him, but they couldn't be retrieved.
"If we knew Denton's real-world identity and could find the cell phone he left behind, maybe we could?" Mu Zhong was also regretful, but both the treasures he left behind and his intense hatred for Wei Huan warranted an investigation. What if they could retrieve the lost treasures?
"I'll arrange for someone to look into it. By the way, what was the item you snatched from the Great Priest in front of the Sacred Tree?"
Wei Huan wasn't in a hurry to look at that item, only because investigating the warehouse reminded him of something. He was currently taking out the Platinum Data Glasses he acquired just before leaving, which was still in the vehicle's warehouse. Fortunately, it hadn't been exchanged yet. The main combat forces in the vehicle were clearly more willing to exchange their huge DKP for combat-enhancing or life-saving items rather than an auxiliary tool.
Wei Huan took out the Platinum Data Glasses. It was another ear clip—a very plain black ring that activated when clipped onto the ear bone. Wei Huan didn't activate it immediately. He asked: "Butler, can you access this Data Glasses?"
The Butler replied: "The Platinum-grade personal system level is too low. I need to upgrade to access it, which requires purchasing items from the Mall for 22,000 points to complete the basic upgrade. However, due to hardware limitations, I can only follow offline after you leave the current world and synchronize information upon returning to the vehicle."
Wei Huan understood. Mu Zhong tilted his head, looking curiously at the Iron Heart on his shoulder: "Can mine be upgraded?" After a few seconds, Mu Zhong nodded: "I see..."
He then explained to Wei Huan: "The Iron Heart is a personal system. I can also put my Data Glasses back in the warehouse."
Wei Huan nodded. The Iron Heart had a very high level of intelligence, second only to the core rules of the Challenger World. It could even help upgrade the Butler AI to a version not available in the Mall, and the Iron Heart's authority was always one level higher. Therefore, with this personal system, other items were no longer necessary.
It worked out well: Wei Huan took one, and Mu Zhong gave one back. They were family, after all.
However, Wei Huan was not willing to let Mu Zhong put the item he used back in the warehouse. Even though Mu Zhong's ear clip had a small butterfly on it, making it look like a ladies' model with carvings, Wei Huan took it and clipped it onto his ear. As for the one in his hand, he tossed it back into the warehouse. The ear clip still carried Mu Zhong's body temperature, and coupled with Mu Zhong's warm smile, it dispelled Wei Huan's exhaustion from the assessment.
After instructing the Butler AI to upgrade itself, Wei Huan finally had time to examine the item he had kept in his portable space. With the new Data Glasses, data would be displayed directly in front of his eyes. If he didn't focus on it, the data would fade and disappear from his field of vision, but if he wanted to see it, it would reappear instantly. Furthermore, the ability to see his own data was far superior to what Wei Huan had before. Naturally, without the glasses, the cold sharpness in Wei Huan's eyes was even less concealed.
Mu Zhong looked at Wei Huan's disfigured face, which was slowly being disguised to look normal through continuous adjustment by the personal system. Meeting Wei Huan's gaze without the glasses, he couldn't help but chuckle: "The area you are in now is perfect for not wearing these glasses."
Wei Huan was puzzled: "Why?"
Mu Zhong smiled: "Wearing the glasses makes you look a bit younger. Speaking of which, we are both only 20 years old."
Wei Huan was not 20. Adding his half-year of rebirth, he was already 33. But Mu Zhong, who was genuinely 20 years old and possessed such ability, was the true genius. Thinking of the short-lived Mu Zhong in his previous life...
Wei Huan adjusted his mood, opened his palm to reveal the item he had been holding, and looked at it.
At the sight of it, both men were stunned.
[Seed of the Tree of Nature]
[Description: Also known as the World Tree, a giant tree that can grow into a continent. Elves like to live on it. It is very slow to germinate but grows quickly. Residing on the World Tree grants the attention of the gods and increases cultivation speed.]
[Gift from the Goddess of Life]
It was the Seed of the World Tree!? With the Fruit of the World Tree, and the Leaf of the World Tree already in Wei Huan's body, had he stripped the entire World Tree bare?
Mu Zhong joyfully said: "Qinglong City is saved! Did you say Captain Fang still has a sapling? If that sapling has already passed the germination period, won't it grow quickly once planted?"
Mu Zhong was about to get up to contact Captain Fang, but Wei Huan grabbed his hand. Wei Huan, who had reached out to stop him, looked silently at Mu Zhong for a long time, then said with some hesitation: "Don't plant it in this world. I received information that the next world is the deep sea."
Mu Zhong sat back down, deep in thought. Wei Huan knew he might be exposing the secret of his rebirth, but he persevered: "The deep-sea environment is too harsh for human survival. The Tree of Life might be key to humanity establishing a firm footing in the Tier 6 world. Don't use it in this world."
Mu Zhong didn't ask why Wei Huan was certain the next world was the "deep sea," although there were indeed voices outside saying the next world might involve the ocean. Of course, others suggested humanity might take to the skies. But regardless of where they went, humanity needed a place to settle. This place didn't just mean inside the vehicle. Even though a Tier 6 war machine could accommodate a thousand people, it couldn't be limited to just these thousand people traveling. People had to leave the vehicle and engage in broader interactions to maintain unity.
"You're right," Mu Zhong quickly grasped the crucial point. He stood up and nodded to Wei Huan: "I will do my best to persuade Captain Fang to let us take the World Tree sapling to the Tier 6 world."
Before leaving, Mu Zhong listened to the Iron Heart, then told Wei Huan: "You can plant this Seed of the Tree of Nature in a large flowerpot. The area where it resides will receive the blessing of the Goddess of Nature and have the same effect as the full-grown tree."
Wei Huan raised an eyebrow. It seemed his Data Glasses were not high-level enough. The Iron Heart clearly knew many secrets that couldn't be displayed. With this, Wei Huan felt that his greatest acquisition this time was the seed. If he planted it in the vehicle, not only would his and Mu Zhong's cultivation speed increase, but the cultivation speed of everyone in the vehicle would also be boosted. Then, he wouldn't always be the only one standing in front. His crew would also grow stronger alongside him.
Wei Huan couldn't wait. He immediately dug out a large flowerpot from the warehouse, filled it with soil, and planted the Seed of the Tree of Nature. The moment the seed was buried, the previously moist soil visibly cracked and dried out rapidly. Water was disappearing frantically. Wei Huan took two buckets of water from the warehouse and poured them in.
The water loss was still quick. Wei Huan vaguely heard the seed gulping down the water. In less than a minute, the two buckets of water were gone. Wei Huan understood. It seemed this seed had been confined by the black building in the future timeline and had not received the necessary nourishment, surviving only by its power as a Divine Plant. Now that it had normal nutrients, it was like a bottomless pit.
Wei Huan grabbed some more fresh water, then carried the flowerpot out of the commander room and shouted: "Liu Chengzhi! Liu Chengzhi, come here!"
Liu Chengzhi wasn't there, of course, but the moment he was notified by the Butler, he ran over like a flash. Wei Huan saw him in the plaza and heard Liu Chengzhi, whose emotional value was maxed out, howl from afar: "Boss, you're back! Boss, I finally see you! Boss, I missed you so much!!"
Wei Huan tossed the flowerpot to Liu Chengzhi: "You're very good at growing vegetables, aren't you? This tree seed is entrusted to you. Plant it well."
Liu Chengzhi held the large flowerpot with both hands as if carrying a huge jar, curiously looking at the soil that was cracking bit by bit. He asked: "What is this?"
Wei Huan said: "The World Tree. It is the most valuable thing on the vehicle right now."
"The World Tree?" Liu Chengzhi looked bewildered. "Is it the one I'm thinking of?"
"Yes, the one you're thinking of."
Liu Chengzhi immediately hugged the flowerpot tightly like a child, his eyes full of excitement and adoration as he looked into the depths of the cracked soil. The World Tree! A legendary, divine-grade plant! Goodness, as expected of the boss! He was so awesome to be able to acquire this!