NOVPUBWatching the three round beads merging in his hand, an extraordinary crimson flame spread among them.
This flame gave birth to everything, with crackling and popping sounds emerging from within.
When the three round beads had completely fused into one, a brand-new bead appeared in Jiang Mochou’s hand.
The color of the bead had turned even more blood-red, as if a raging inferno was burning within it, transforming all things.
Jiang Mochou knew this was not the place to fuse the Battle Body, so he took advantage of the night and left the Taiyuan Heavenly Sect.
...…
In a secret grotto deep within the mountains, known to none, Jiang Mochou covered the newly opened entrance with branches and then took out the crimson red bead.
He swallowed the bead in one gulp, like a swig of strong liquor, and his face instantly turned bright red.
Jiang Mochou felt a thick flame travel down his throat to his stomach, making his whole body extremely hot.
Sweat poured out rapidly from his body, then evaporated just as quickly, with wisps of white steam rising from him.
His skin became incredibly red, and it was not just the skin – even his hair and eyes turned to a fiery red.
His hair was like a blazing flame, and even the slight breath from his mouth was pure white.
Jiang Mochou slowly raised his head, his body emitting deep purple flames, under which the surrounding space was completely annihilated.
After the Crimson Flame Emperor Body had fully merged, Jiang Mochou felt an unprecedented strength within himself.
He casually clenched his fists and threw a light punch into the air, creating a black hole about a meter wide in the space.
Stepping out of the grotto, Jiang Mochou cast a glance in the direction of the Taiyuan Heavenly Sect.
Now that he had found the third bead, there was no longer any reason for him to stay at the Taiyuan Heavenly Sect.
"Just wait," he thought, "even if you are like the gods above, esteemed and inviolable,
there will come a day when I will pull you down from your divine pedestals, drag you through the mud, and let you taste the feeling of defeat."
Jiang Mochou took one last deep look in the direction of the Taiyuan Heavenly Sect, then left in the opposite direction.
...…
As Xu Zimei entered the vortex, the view in front of him spun chaotically, and space rippled in waves.
Everyone, with the vortex’s devouring force, entered the Secret Realm, and after what seemed like an eternity of darkness, their vision finally cleared up.
This was a vast forest, with countless trees rooted deep in the ground.
What was astonishing was that each of these trees was as thick as a dozen people embracing it.
Moreover, the trunks of these trees actually had eyes, noses, and mouths.
Crows with dreary eyes flew by overhead, dropping a few leaves from their wings.
In the exceedingly dark forest, these trees with human faces looked terrifying.
Now, with the arrival of Xu Zimei, the faces on these trees started to move.
"How many years has it been, someone has come again," a series of strange cries came from the forest, a very gloomy voice muttering as if in whispers, as if communicating with each other.
Xu Zimei looked around; he and everyone else had been scattered, and he was all alone in this forest.
At this moment, these towering trees watched him mockingly, their dense leaves covering the entire sky.
Branch after branch, like demons and monsters brandishing their claws, waved in the sky above.
As Xu Zimei saw all those branches attacking him, he drew Tyrant Shadow, the blade engulfed in raging flames. 𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮
The branches were all chopped off, and the flames began to consume them from one end to the other.
With crackling sounds, sparks exploded in the air. Just as the fire was about to spread to the Sky-reaching Great Tree,
a green light emanated from the tree, carrying a rich aura of life, and swiftly extinguished the fire.
The branches that Xu Zimei had cut off began to grow back and attack once again.
Xu Zimei frowned slightly; it was this green light, with its aura of life, that moved him.
When the Secret Realm had first opened, the rush of green light and life energy it contained was the same as this.
Xu Zimei could hardly imagine that the Spring of Life could rank tenth among the world’s wonders, yet the life aura here was even richer than the Spring’s.
...…
As the branches lashed towards him once more, Xu Zimei retreated two steps.
When the branches struck the ground, a thunderous "boom" resounded, leaving a fissure tens of meters long.
No one would have expected these seemingly fragile branches to possess such great strength.
As Xu Zimei retreated, the expression on the face of one of the trees was extremely terrified. It shouted, "Stop him quickly, the exit of the Secret Realm is over there!"
As that terrified voice faded, the surrounding branches became even more frantic. Whip-like branches, carrying endless gusts, surged towards Xu Zimei.
Hearing about the exit, Xu Zimei quickly retreated.
As he dodged, all the branches missed and struck the ground instead, with persistent thundering sounds, the fissures on the ground grew.
Finally, after Xu Zimei had evaded for about fifteen minutes, he saw another vortex not too far away.
The voice that cried out in terror became even more distressed, and it screamed, "We haven’t had fresh meat for a long time, stop him quick, don’t let him get away!"
Spiritual Energy surged around Xu Zimei, and with a stride, he finally reached the vortex.
As soon as he stepped into the vortex, the terrified voice sounded somewhat despondent, "It’s over, he’s going to escape."
Just as Xu Zimei’s figure was about to vanish into the vortex, he suddenly turned around, his Spiritual Energy billowing, and forcefully stepped out of the vortex.
"You, why did you come back?" asked the astonished voice.
"Good play," said Xu Zimei with a light chuckle.
"What play?" The voice seemed to grow angrier and shouted, "Brothers, seize him, I want to flay him and grind his bones, mince his flesh into paste!"
As the branches attacked again, with an even more formidable presence as if to shatter the very space, Xu Zimei didn’t dodge this time, allowing the branches to come at him.
"Boom," the ground began to tremble, and the branches that had been attacking Xu Zimei shockingly went astray.
Dust filled the air, and countless fissures appeared around Xu Zimei.
"I’m standing here not moving, and you still missed," Xu Zimei said with a smile, "Did you really miss, or are you deliberately not daring to hit me?"
Upon hearing Xu Zimei’s words, the faces on the trunks of those trees seemed even more furious.
"Stop pretending. Ever since I arrived here, you’ve been threatening me in various ways and even intentionally told me how to leave the Secret Realm," Xu Zimei said with a smile, "Putting on such airs, I’m rather curious now, what exactly are you all?"
