Self-Destructing the Heaven-Reaching Path!

"Godfather, are you saying that what we're seeing now is just an offshoot of its main body, and its true form is still on Black Mountain?"

"So even if we destroy all these branches and leaves, as long as its main body isn't annihilated, it will make a comeback?"

Lu Xuening asked, a tremor of fear in her voice.

If some of the offshoots of this Black Willow possessed such power, just how strong must its main body be?

"I understand."

"So the so-called demon invasion was just a smokescreen!"

"The real mastermind behind all this is actually this Black Willow!"

"These demons were merely responsible for delivering the offshoots to Ping An County, so that the Black Willow could turn all the living beings in Ping An County into its nourishment!"

"Even the demonic calamity in Ping An County is related to the Black Willow."

"From beginning to end, whether it was the Three Demons of Black Mountain or other demons from Black Mountain, they were all its pawns. Once they completed the Black Willow's task, they would also face death!"

"And judging from the behavior of the Three Demons of Black Mountain and the other demons before their deaths, they had no idea of the Black Willow's plan. They were kept in the dark the entire time."

"How ruthless! Not only does it want to slaughter the city, making tens of thousands of people in Ping An County its sacrifice, but it also intends to devour the demons of Black Mountain, turning them into its nourishment as well!"

"This Black Willow is more demonic than any demon!"

Chen Fan said with a cold voice.

This was an extremely sinister, venomous, and highly intelligent tree demon, completely unlike the wooden heads of other tree-like demons!

"Hahaha!"

"Everything you've said is correct!"

"But so what?"

"I've been planning for thirty years, and now the situation is set. The humans of Ping An County are destined to become my nourishment, and so are you!"

"Stop struggling and let me devour you obediently. From now on, you will all be one with me, sharing in the sacred path, with longevity equal to heaven. Isn't that wonderful?"

Just then, countless black branches crawled out from the city walls. These black branches intertwined with each other, forming a humanoid willow branch monster, which spoke in a deep voice.

"Dream on!"

Chen Fan slashed out with his blade, directly scattering the humanoid willow branch monster.

"We need to leave this place. Soon, these black branches will completely cover everything here!"

Lu Xuening said solemnly.

Everyone nodded with grave expressions.

None of them had ever imagined that they would end up in such a dire situation.

They thought they would perish together with the demons invading Ping An County tonight, but they never expected to become nourishment for a Black Willow.

"Immediately notify everyone to gather at the center of the county town. Everyone must gather at the center of the county town. This way, we can buy ourselves more time."

Chen Fan said with a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, everyone rushed off to relay the message.

Chen Fan sat on the roof of the county yamen, gazing at the black willow branches constantly approaching the county town from all directions. A sense of powerlessness washed over him.

"The only way to resolve the crisis in Ping An County now might be for me to break through to the Divine Aperture Realm, break through the encirclement, and head to Black Mountain to destroy the tree demon's main body."

"Godfather, I want to shatter my Innate Sword Heart and open my heart aperture to enter the Divine Aperture Realm. Perhaps this way, the people of Ping An County will have a sliver of hope!"

Lu Xuening said.

She had possessed an Innate Sword Heart since childhood and was a natural sword cultivator. It was precisely because of this that she could find a renowned master and reach the peak of the Divine Treasury Realm at such a young age.

Logically speaking, she should have been able to break through to the Divine Aperture Realm three years ago.

However, her master's intention was for her to comprehend the state of Swordheart Clarity before entering the Divine Aperture Realm.

At that time, she would be able to use her peerless sword qi to open the acupoints all over her body.

This accumulation step seemed slow, but once achieved, she could instantly open thirty-six acupoints, and her cultivation realm would catch up rapidly.

Moreover, it would lay a solid foundation for opening the one hundred and eight acupoints all over her body in the future. She could even evolve her acupoints into sword acupoints, using them to nurture sword qi, evolve sword intent, and transform the acupoints all over her body. This was a heaven-reaching great path!

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

"If you shatter your sword heart, your future cultivation will be ruined."

"Furthermore, even if you shatter your sword heart and open your heart aperture, it will only be opening a relatively special acupoint. The improvement to your own strength will be limited, and you might not even be able to defeat Chen Fan at his current stage. It will be of no help in saving Ping An County."

"Didn't you send a letter for help to Dragon Abyss Prefecture long ago? Perhaps Dragon Abyss Prefecture has received it, and knowing you are in danger, your senior brothers and sisters might be rushing here. Perhaps your master himself will come."

"He has a mount, a golden eagle. It only takes a few hours to get from Dragon Abyss Prefecture to Ping An County. We can still wait!"

"Promise me, even if you die, you must never shatter your sword heart. That is your path of cultivation. We cultivators, even in death, must not destroy our heaven-reaching path!"

Huang Chengyue said with a grave and solemn expression.

"But..."

"No 'buts'!"

"This matter is not up for discussion. Let this old man be selfish just this once. I can die in your place, but I absolutely will not allow you to destroy your own path."

"I've built a secret room at home. The entrance is behind the bookcase in my bedroom. If we really can't stop this tree demon, you take Chen Fan and go back home to hide in the secret room. It might hold off the tree demon for a while."

"Perhaps the tree demon will leave on its own after it's killed enough people. You might even survive then."

After Huang Chengyue finished speaking, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. Perhaps he was thinking too simply of the tree demon, but it was his fondest hope.

He hadn't even told his wife and children about this secret room, yet he told Lu Xuening, his god-daughter. This was a debt he owed Lu Fang, because Lu Fang had died saving him back then.

He had kept this buried in his heart for over ten years. He felt guilty towards Lu Fang!

"It looks like I'll have to enter the Divine Aperture Realm with the Blood Fiend Art after all!"

"I have a golden finger. As long as there's enough lifespan from demons, I can continuously deduce the Blood Fiend Art, evolving it into a Divine Aperture Realm technique that suits me best. At that point, the negative effects of the Blood Fiend Art will be negligible for me!"

"It's just that the Blood Fiend Art can only open thirty-six acupoints in the human body. Advanced Divine Aperture Realm techniques can open seventy-two acupoints, one hundred and eight acupoints, or even more."

"To achieve Perfection in the Divine Aperture Realm, one must open the one hundred and eight most crucial acupoints in the human body. These are the main acupoints; they cannot be bypassed."

"If the Blood Fiend Art cannot be deduced, then to open one hundred and eight acupoints, I would need to cultivate other Divine Aperture Realm techniques that share the same origin as the Blood Fiend Art. But there's no other way."

"However, finding techniques with the same origin as the Blood Fiend Art is truly too difficult!"

"But now, with the reinforcements from Dragon Abyss Prefecture delayed, all the people in Ping An County, including myself, are in grave danger. The time has come to make a decision!"

Chen Fan leaped up, jumping directly from the roof of the county yamen. He landed steadily beside Lu Xuening and Huang Chengyue, startling both of them.

"You scared me to death! When did you get on the roof?"

"I was just talking to my godfather... Did you hear everything?"

Lu Xuening patted her chest and then looked at Chen Fan, speaking.

"I heard some of it, roughly."

"But even if you break through, you won't be a match for this Black Willow. Let me handle it!"

"I just comprehended the Blood Fiend Art from Cao De's hand and had a profound realization. I can use the Blood Fiend Art to break through to the Divine Aperture Realm."

"If I break through to the Divine Aperture Realm, my strength will definitely increase greatly. Then I can break through the encirclement, go to Black Mountain, and destroy this Black Willow. The crisis in Ping An County will naturally be resolved."

Chen Fan said calmly.