"Godfather, you mean that everything we're seeing now is merely a branch off its body, while its true body is still on Black Mountain?"
"So even if we destroy all these branches and leaves, as long as its true body remains intact, it'll come back again?"
Lu Xuenning asked, trembling slightly at the thought.
Even some of the Black Willow Tree's branches possessed such formidable abilities. Just how powerful was its true body?
"I understand now."
"The so-called demonic invasion was all a ruse!"
"The true mastermind is this Black Willow Tree!"
"These Demonic Creatures were merely responsible for bringing the branches inside their bodies to Ping'an County, allowing the Black Willow Tree to turn every living being in the entire county into its nourishment!"
"Even the demonic disaster in Ping'an County is inseparable from the Black Willow Tree."
"From beginning to end, whether it was the Black Mountain Three Demons or the other Demonic Creatures on Black Mountain, they were all its pawns. Once they completed the Black Willow Tree's mission, they too would be unable to escape death!"
"And judging by the behavior of the Black Mountain Three Demons and the many Demonic Creatures before their deaths, they had no idea what the Black Willow Tree was plotting. They had been kept in the dark the entire time."
"How vicious! Not only does it want to slaughter the entire city and have tens of thousands of Ping'an County's commoners buried with it, but it also wants to devour all the Demonic Creatures on Black Mountain and turn them into its nourishment!"
"This Black Willow Tree is practically more demonic than the Demonic Creatures themselves!"
Chen Fan spoke in a frigid voice.
This was an extremely sinister and vicious Tree Demon with astonishing intelligence, utterly different from the wooden-headed Demonic Creatures formed from other kinds of trees!
"Hahahaha!"
"You've got it all right!"
"But so what?"
"I've plotted for thirty years. Now the outcome is decided. The people of Ping'an County are destined to become my nourishment, and so are all of you!"
"Stop struggling. Just obediently let me devour you. From now on, you and I will become one, comprehend the Divine Saint's Dao, and share the same lifespan as Heaven. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
At that moment, countless black branches crawled over the city wall. They twisted around one another and transformed into a humanoid monster made of willow branches, which spoke in a deep voice.
"Dream on!"
Chen Fan slashed out with his saber, directly cleaving the humanoid willow-branch monster apart.
"Let's leave this place. These Black Willow Branches will completely cover the area very soon!"
Lu Xuenning spoke solemnly.
Everyone nodded with grave expressions.
No matter what, none of them had expected to end up in such a predicament.
They had thought that tonight they would perish together with the Demonic Creatures invading Ping'an County. They had never imagined that they themselves would become nourishment for a Black Willow Tree.
"Notify everyone immediately. Gather in the center of the county town. Everyone must gather there. That way, we can buy ourselves a little more time."
Chen Fan spoke in a deep voice.
Hearing this, everyone hurried off to pass the message along.
Chen Fan sat atop the county government office, gazing at the Black Willow Branches constantly closing in on the county town from every direction. A feeling of powerlessness welled up from the depths of his heart.
"The only way out now may be for me to break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm, force my way out, and go to Black Mountain to destroy this Tree Demon's true body. Only then can the crisis in Ping'an County be resolved."
"Godfather, I want to shatter my Innate Sword Heart, open my Heart Aperture, and enter the Spirit Aperture Realm. Perhaps then the people of Ping'an County will still have a chance to survive!"
Lu Xuenning spoke up.
She had been born with an Innate Sword Heart and was a natural-born sword cultivator. That was precisely why she had been able to take a renowned master as her teacher and reach the Spirit Concealment Realm Peak at such a young age.
Logically speaking, she could have broken through to the Spirit Aperture Realm three years ago.
However, her master's intention was for her to comprehend the Sword Heart Enlightenment Realm before entering the Spirit Aperture Realm.
By then, she would be able to use peerless Sword Qi to open the apertures throughout her body.
This step of accumulation appeared slow, but once accomplished, she would be able to instantly open all thirty-six of her apertures, allowing her cultivation realm to overtake others from behind.
Moreover, it would lay a solid foundation for opening all one hundred and eight apertures in the future. She could even evolve her apertures into sword apertures, use them to nurture her Sword Qi, derive sword intent, and transform the apertures throughout her body. This was a path that led straight to Heaven!
"No!"
"Absolutely not!"
"If you destroy your sword heart, your future cultivation will be ruined."
"Besides, even if you shatter your sword heart to open your Heart Aperture, you would only be opening one comparatively special aperture. The improvement to your strength would be limited. You might not even be able to defeat Chen Fan in his current state, so it would do nothing to save Ping'an County."
"Didn't you send a request for reinforcements to Longyuan Prefecture long ago? Perhaps Longyuan Prefecture has already received it. After learning that you're in danger, perhaps your senior brothers and sisters are already rushing here. Your master might even come personally."
"He has a Golden Eagle mount. It only takes a few hours to travel from Longyuan Prefecture to Ping'an County. We can still wait!"
"Promise me that even if you die, you absolutely must not destroy your sword heart. That is your path of cultivation. We cultivators must never destroy our path to Heaven, even in death!"
Huang Chengyue spoke in a deep voice, his expression grave.
"But..."
"There are no buts!"
"This matter is not up for discussion. Let this old man be selfish for once. I can die in your place, but I absolutely will not allow you to destroy your Dao Path."
"I built a secret chamber at home. Its entrance is behind the bookshelf in my bedroom. If we truly can't hold back this Tree Demon, take Chen Fan back to our house and hide in the secret chamber. Perhaps it can hold the Tree Demon back for a while."
"Perhaps this Tree Demon will withdraw on its own after killing enough people. You may still survive."
After Huang Chengyue finished speaking, he gave a self-mocking laugh. Perhaps he had underestimated this Tree Demon, but this was also his fondest hope.
He had not even told his wife and children about the secret chamber, yet he had told Lu Xuenning, his goddaughter. This was a debt he owed Lu Fang, who had died saving him all those years ago.
He had buried this matter in his heart for more than ten years. He had failed Lu Fang!
"Looks like I still have to enter the Spirit Aperture Realm through the Blood Sha Skill!"
"I have my Golden Finger. As long as I have enough Demonic Creature Lifespan, I can continuously deduce this Blood Sha Skill and evolve it into a Spirit Aperture Realm cultivation method that suits me best. By then, the Blood Sha Skill's negative effects will be negligible to me!"
"The only problem is that the Blood Sha Skill can open just thirty-six apertures in the human body. Profound Spirit Aperture Realm cultivation methods can open seventy-two apertures, one hundred and eight apertures, or even more."
"If one wishes to perfect the Spirit Aperture Realm, one must open the one hundred and eight most important apertures in the human body. These are the primary apertures and cannot be bypassed."
"If the Blood Sha Skill cannot be deduced further, then if I want to open one hundred and eight apertures, I'll have to cultivate another Spirit Aperture Realm method that shares the same origin with the Blood Sha Skill. But there's nothing else I can do."
"However, finding a cultivation method that shares the same origin with the Blood Sha Skill will truly be incredibly difficult!"
"But the reinforcements from Longyuan Prefecture still haven't arrived. Everyone in Ping'an County, myself included, is in grave danger. It's time to make a decision!"
Chen Fan leaped from the county government office's roof and landed steadily beside Lu Xuenning and Huang Chengyue, startling them both.
"You scared me to death! When did you get onto the roof?"
"What I just said to my godfather... you heard it all?"
Lu Xuenning patted her flat chest, then glanced at Chen Fan as she spoke.
"I heard some of it."
"But even if you break through, you still won't be a match for this Black Willow Tree. Let me do it!"
"I just comprehended the Blood Sha Skill in Cao De's possession, and I gained a great deal of insight. I can use the Blood Sha Skill to break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm."
"Once I break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm, my strength will certainly increase greatly. Then I'll force my way out, go to Black Mountain, and destroy this Black Willow Tree. The crisis in Ping'an County will naturally be resolved."
Chen Fan spoke calmly.
Before you continue