Self-Destructing Path to the Heavens!

"Godfather, you mean everything we're seeing now is just a branch of it, and its main body is still on Black Mountain."

"So even if we destroy all these branches, as long as its main body isn't destroyed, it will come back?"

Lu Xuenning asked, a little trembling.

If these branches of the Black Willow Tree possessed such power, how strong must its main body be?

"I understand now."

"The so-called Demons and Devils invasion was just a smokescreen!"

"The real mastermind is this Black Willow Tree!"

"These Demons and Devils were merely responsible for delivering the branches into Ping'an County, so that the Black Willow Tree could turn all living beings in Ping'an County into its nourishment!"

"Even the Demon disaster in Ping'an County is related to the Black Willow Tree."

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

"And from the way the Black Mountain Three Demons and the many Demons and Devils behaved before their deaths, they had no idea of the Black Willow Tree'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 pay with their lives, but it also intends to devour the Demons and Devils of Black Mountain, turning them into its nourishment too!"

"This Black Willow Tree is more demonic than the Demons and Devils themselves!"

Chen Fan said coldly.

This was an extremely sinister, venomous, and highly intelligent tree Demon, completely unlike the wooden heads of other tree Demons and Devils!

"Hahaha!"

"You are all correct!"

"But so what?"

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

"Stop struggling and let me devour you. From now on, you will be one with me, and we will pursue the path of divinity together, with eternal life. Isn't that wonderful?"

Just then, countless black branches crawled out of the city walls. These black branches intertwined, forming a humanoid willow branch Monster, which spoke in a deep voice.

"Dream on!"

Chen Fan slashed out with his saber, directly splitting the humanoid willow branch Monster apart.

"Leave this place quickly. These black willow branches will soon cover everything here completely!"

Lu Xuenning said in a deep voice.

Everyone nodded with grave expressions.

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

They thought they would perish together with the invading Demons and Devils in Ping'an County tonight, but they never expected to become nourishment for a Black Willow Tree.

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

Chen Fan said in a deep voice.

Everyone rushed off to deliver the message.

Chen Fan sat on the roof of the County Yamen, gazing at the approaching black willow branches from all directions, a sense of powerlessness washing over him.

"The only way out of this situation might be for me to break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm, break through the encirclement, and go to Black Mountain to destroy the tree Demon's main body. Only then can the crisis in Ping'an County be resolved."

"Godfather, I want to shatter my Innate Sword Heart and open my spiritual aperture, to enter the Spirit Aperture Realm. This might give the people of Ping'an County a glimmer of hope!"

Lu Xuenning said.

She had been born with an Innate Sword Heart 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 Treasure Realm 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.

At that time, she would be able to open the acupoints around her body with unparalleled sword energy.

This accumulation phase might seem slow, but once achieved, she could instantly open all thirty-six acupoints, and her cultivation realm would surge forward.

Furthermore, it would lay a solid foundation for opening the one hundred and eight acupoints in the future, and even evolve her acupoints into sword acupoints, using them to nurture sword energy, evolve sword intent, and transform her acupoints. This was a path to the heavens!

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

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

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

"Didn't you already send a letter for help to Longyuan Prefecture? Perhaps Longyuan Prefecture has received it. If they know you are in danger, perhaps your senior brothers and sisters are already on their way, or even your master himself will come."

"He has a Golden Eagle mount. It only takes a few hours from Longyuan Prefecture to Ping'an County. We can wait!"

"Promise me, even if you die, you will never destroy your sword heart. That is your path of cultivation. We cultivators, even in death, must not destroy our path to the heavens!"

Huang Chengyue said solemnly with a grave expression.

"But..."

"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 ruin your cultivation path."

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

"Perhaps the Demon will retreat on its own after killing enough people. You might even survive."

After Huang Chengyue finished speaking, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. Perhaps he was underestimating the Demon, but it was his fondest wish.

He hadn't even told his wife and son about this secret room, but he had told his goddaughter, Lu Xuenning. This was a debt he owed to Lu Fang, as Lu Fang had died saving him years ago.

He had carried this burden in his heart for over a decade. He felt he had failed Lu Fang!

"It seems I'll have to rely on the Blood Sha Skill to enter the Spirit Aperture Realm!"

"I have a cheat. As long as the Demons and Devils have enough lifespan, I can continuously deduce the Blood Sha Skill and evolve it into a cultivation technique that best suits me for the Spirit Aperture Realm. At that time, the negative effects of the Blood Sha Skill will be negligible for me!"

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

"To achieve perfection in the Spirit Aperture Realm, one must open the one hundred and eight most important acupoints in the body. These are the main acupoints and cannot be bypassed."

"If the Blood Sha Skill cannot be deduced, then to open one hundred and eight acupoints, I will need to cultivate other Spirit Aperture Realm techniques that share the same origin as the Blood Sha Skill. But that's just how it is."

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

"But now, the reinforcements from Longyuan Prefecture are delayed. The entire population of Ping'an County, including myself, is in grave danger. The time has come to make a decision!"

Chen Fan leaped up, vaulting from the roof of the County Magistrate's office and landing steadily beside Lu Xuenning and Huang Chengyue, startling them both.

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

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

Lu Xuenning patted her chest, then looked at Chen Fan and spoke.

"I heard some of it, roughly."

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

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

"If I break through to the Spirit Aperture Realm, my strength will greatly increase. Then I can break through the siege, go to Black Mountain, and destroy this Black Willow Tree. The crisis in Ping'an County will naturally be resolved."

Chen Fan said calmly.