By nightfall, the three of them slept in the car and made do for the night.
Su Ze had originally thought they could hide here for two or three days, but to his surprise, the local villagers reported them the very next day, claiming they looked suspicious.
A potbellied middle-aged man in a security officer's uniform led several young men who looked like street punks and surrounded Su Ze's car.
Su Ze said helplessly, "We can only force our way through."
They could not withstand an inspection, so they had no choice but to flee.
Aunt Yun said, "I'll clear the way. Just drive straight ahead."
Aunt Yun did not even make a move. She merely circulated the Evolutionary Force within her body, and yellow Evolutionary Light flowed through her palm. She waved at the crowd, and everyone immediately stepped aside of their own accord, clearing a path for Su Ze.
Of these people, only the security officer was at the Pupal stage. The rest were ordinary people of the mortal rank. Faced with someone at the Butterfly Transformation Stage, how could they possibly have the courage to block the road?
Su Ze drove more than ten kilometers in one breath. He knew that after they left, the security officer would certainly report the matter, and Zhang Fantie's people would soon be drawn here.
"Looks like we need to prepare to enter the mountains."
He knew that Zhang Fantie would definitely mobilize manpower next and focus on searching the rural villages south of the city. They would not be able to hide for long.
Liu Wenyin said, "Today, four Saint-class powerhouses from Luofan Kingdom and Mu Kingdom entered the Black Rock Mountain Range. They want to kill the Spirit Root Tree. The Netherworld Organization will very likely take the opportunity to cause trouble, and the crazed Feng Buqing may also appear. The situation will soon descend into chaos, and we'll definitely have a chance to break out then."
Aunt Yun said, "I'll patrol nearby. The moment anything happens, we'll enter the mountains immediately."
Her injuries had basically healed, and she had recovered sixty to seventy percent of her strength. As long as she did not fight someone of the same level, she would be in little danger.
After Aunt Yun left, Su Ze and Liu Wenyin took out their phones and began watching the livestream. Today was the day four Saint-class powerhouses would enter the mountains to battle the Spirit Root Tree. How could Brother Ya possibly miss such a grand event? Sure enough, streamer Brother Ya had already entered the Black Rock Mountain Range and started his broadcast.
"Brothers, they haven't started fighting yet, so let's take this chance to analyze the current situation.
"First, let me introduce the two Saint-class powerhouses from Luofan Kingdom. One is General Ye Muni, and the other is Mr. Amida, the president of Luofan Academy. Mr. Amida is not only a powerful veteran Saint-class expert, but also a seasoned expert in Evolutionary Science."
Liu Wenyin looked surprised. "It's actually him."
Su Ze asked curiously, "You know him?"
"Mm. We met once at an academic exchange conference. He's an exceptionally knowledgeable scholar."
Brother Ya continued, "The two Saint-class powerhouses from Mu Kingdom are the retired Elder Li Shangmao and Mr. Qu Jianbai, the Chief Justice of Mu Kingdom's Supreme Court."
Su Ze also looked surprised. "It's actually him."
Liu Wenyin turned her head. "You know him?"
"I do. Zhao Yuanyi belongs to Qu Jianbai's faction, and his greatest backer is this Chief Justice."
It was clear that the two Saint-class experts sent by the two countries this time were significantly stronger. They were both veteran Saint-class powerhouses who had been famous for many years. Clearly, they attached great importance to the Spirit Root Tree and were determined to obtain it.
Many people in the livestream chat were asking: Why had they not made a move yet?
Brother Ya lowered his voice. "It's not that they don't want to act. In fact, the moment the four Saint-class experts entered the mountains today, they planned to make their move. But they discovered traces of Tainted Ones. They now suspect that, aside from Feng Buqing, other Tainted Ones have slipped into the Black Rock Mountain Range.
"The four Saint-class experts intend to eliminate all unstable factors first before dealing with the Spirit Root Tree. They're currently tracking the Tainted Ones."
Su Ze and Liu Wenyin exchanged a glance. They knew it had to be someone from the Netherworld Organization, and anyone capable of making four Saint-class powerhouses wary was most likely Saint-class as well.
At that moment, Brother Ya moved the camera, and a huge mountain appeared in the livestream. A massive fissure split the mountain down the middle.
"I specifically found an angle so you can get a good look at this Spirit Root Tree."
Under Brother Ya's control, the image continuously zoomed in, though its clarity gradually declined. Finally, they could see the scene within the mountain's fissure.
A straight tree trunk ran from top to bottom through the entire mountain. Unlike ordinary trees, this trunk was covered in roots. The enormous tree buried deep inside the mountain had no branches, only countless roots, with a few scattered leaves growing from them.
Those roots were incredibly thick, tangled and intertwined as they spread through the entire mountain.
Liu Wenyin's expression turned solemn. "This isn't an ordinary Spirit Root Tree. Its roots have grown to this extent—it's already close to becoming a Fifth-Order Spiritual Plant!
"It looks like it won't be many more years before this Spirit Root Tree completes its fifth evolution and becomes a Fifth-Order Spiritual Plant, the Coiling Dragon Root. But now that it has exposed its existence, it won't get that chance."
Su Ze asked, "After the Spirit Root Tree evolves for the fifth time, it's called a Coiling Dragon Root? Is it some kind of metamorphic evolution?"
"Mm." Liu Wenyin nodded. "During its fifth evolution, the Spirit Root Tree abandons its trunk and evolves into a mass of movable roots. It gains the ability to move rapidly underground, making it even more agile and faster than ordinary Earth Evasion techniques."
"A Fifth-Order Spiritual Plant? Wouldn't that mean it has no rivals among the Six Kingdoms? It seems there aren't any Saint-class experts in the Six Kingdoms who have evolved five times."
Liu Wenyin said, "The Six Kingdoms don't have any themselves, but the Dominant Nation does..."
Su Ze asked, "Human evolutionaries who have evolved more than four times are all called Saint-class. Isn't there a more specific classification? The Transcendent realm is divided into the Pupal stage, Cocoon Breaking, and Butterfly Transformation Stage."
Liu Wenyin explained, "The first three evolutions fall within the Transcendent realm, while the fourth through sixth evolutions fall within the Saint realm, which we simply call 'Saint-class.' Thus, Saint-class refers to evolutionaries who have evolved from four to six times. Those who have evolved seven times or more belong to an even higher realm.
"Saint-realm powerhouses are few in number and hold lofty status, so their strength has been classified according to their social standing.
"Those who have evolved four times are often major figures in their regions, so they are called 'Overlords.' Those who have evolved five times are powerful enough to reign over an entire continent, so they are called 'Supremes.' As for those who have evolved six times, every one of them has left a vivid mark on the history of human evolution, so they are respectfully called 'Legends.'"
"So that's how it is." Su Ze felt that this poor student had learned something.
He might have been ignorant, but he was eager to learn. By Liu Wenyin's side, it felt as though there was always endless knowledge to absorb.
Just then, a knock sounded against the car window. Aunt Yun had appeared outside the car door at some point.
Su Ze unlocked the vehicle, and Aunt Yun immediately pulled open the door and got in. "A lot of people are surrounding us. We leave now and enter the mountains!"
Without wasting any words, Su Ze immediately started the car and drove toward the Black Rock Mountain Range.
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