Lu Xiaotian had never guarded against the hunchback on Wang Tuoguai's back, nor had he even imagined it. Recalling the utterly perilous events from before, even if he had not been behind Wang Tuoguai but standing a short distance in front of him, he likely still could not have escaped that blow without any preparation. After all, at close range, the withered-vine hand formed by Purpleleaf Zhenwu could turn, and its speed was by no means slow. Caught off guard at such a distance, there was almost no way to evade it.
Even after discovering it, Purpleleaf Zhenwu was still an exceptionally powerful force. Though its strength weakened rather quickly, it could contend with Di Kun for a short time, making it extraordinarily formidable.
"So? After reading that manual, you should know I'm quite useful, right?" one of the sapling's eyes said upon seeing Lu Xiaotian, a trace of smugness in its gaze.
"It was quite useful to that hunchback before, but not so much to me. I have no interest in turning into a hunchback, nor in having some deformity grow out of my body for no reason." Lu Xiaotian showed no delight as he swept the sapling a calm glance. "So you have no value to me either."
Hearing Lu Xiaotian's words, terror immediately surfaced in the sapling's lone eye. Its previous smugness vanished beyond the clouds, and it stammered, "Y-you, what do you mean?"
"Since you're of no use, keeping you would be superfluous. You nearly took my life just now." Seeing the sapling's fear written all over its face, Lu Xiaotian could not help laughing inwardly. Though the sapling had injured him, its thoughts were simple enough, far inferior to the old fox Wang Tuoguai. Lu Xiaotian did not actually intend to kill it; he was