No One Lifted Me Toward My Azure Clouds, So I Tread the Snow and Climbed to the Summit Myself!

"I'm saved!"

"Head Constable Lu saved us!"

"Head Constable Lu is incredible!"

Seeing the strange black sea of trees that had been about to swallow them whole destroyed by Lu Xuenning, everyone couldn't help cheering.

Only Lu Xuenning's face had grown much paler, her expression grave.

That strike had looked powerful, but it had taken a heavy toll on her. Besides, she had only destroyed some Black Willow Branches. As long as the Black Willow Tree itself remained alive, those branches would come surging back. And with her current strength, she could use an attack like that only a few more times at most!

Still, she had managed to preserve herself and buy Chen Fan some time.

As the shattered Black Willow Branches swept toward the crowd again, moving even faster than before, Lu Xuenning's expression darkened further.

"Chen Fan, you can do it!"

Lu Xuenning said silently to herself.

Black Mountain.

Chen Fan continued closing in on the enormous Black Willow Tree coiled around the mountain summit.

His eyes blazed with crimson light, and the Meteorite Iron Blade in his hand gave off terrifying black-and-red blade energy. Combined with his perfected Blade Intent, its power was peerless!

He swept everything before him, his strength seemingly inexhaustible, step by step drawing closer to Lord Willow at the peak of Black Mountain!

When he finally came to a halt on the summit, all the demons and monsters formed from Black Willow Branches turned back into branches and were drawn into Lord Willow's trunk. The black roots coiled around the whole mountain also began to retract.

"No one lifted me toward my azure clouds; I tread the snow and climbed to the summit myself!"

"Lord Willow, are you ready to die by my blade now?!"

Dressed in a black robe, Chen Fan stood alone with his blade before the enormous Black Willow Tree. His eyes shone as he asked in a low voice.

"You impudent brat, all talk and no sense! How much strength do you have left?"

"Fools like you, who don't know how high the heavens are, are doomed to fall before they can grow. And I will be the one to end you!"

The enormous tree began to shake violently. Its black roots transformed into two enormous feet, its thick trunk became a body, and its dense branches and leaves formed a head. In an instant, a monster covered in black scales stood before Chen Fan!

"Damn, it's a demon-shaped Gundam!"

Chen Fan couldn't help but quip at the towering monstrosity. But his hands never slowed. He sprang into the air and unleashed Heaven and Earth One-Blade Cut, slashing viciously at the nine-zhang-tall Lord Willow.

The strike carried terrifying Blood Sha Qi, corroding bone and scorching the heart, its power boundless!

Chen Fan had opened only Thirty-six Spirit Apertures. By the standard of the nine heavens of the Spirit Aperture Realm, a hundred and eight apertures made a complete set, with every twelve apertures marking one heaven. That meant he was only at the third heaven of the Spirit Aperture Realm.

But he had mastered great-perfection Blade Intent and reached the utmost limit of what he could achieve in the Spirit Concealment Realm. His body rivaled that of a Fierce Beast cub. With such an immense foundation behind him, he could challenge those above his level, pushing his combat strength ever higher!

With a thought, Lord Willow formed a thick shield from Black Willow Branches and raised it before itself, blocking Chen Fan's strike.

Boom!

A tremendous explosion rang out. Chen Fan cleaved through Lord Willow's shield, and his terrifying blade energy carved a deep gash into its body.

Rustle, rustle, rustle!

Countless black branches and leaves immediately sprouted across Lord Willow's body, healing the wound. Then it conjured a wooden spear out of thin air and thrust it viciously at Chen Fan!

Chen Fan raised his blade and struck again, cleaving the enormous spear in two!

The next second,

Lord Willow conjured eight enormous arms, each gripping a spear, and attacked Chen Fan from all sides!

Boom!

Chen Fan could hardly fight off four hands, let alone the eight arms Lord Willow had conjured. The blow sent him flying!

"So that's all you've got. Die!"

Seeing Chen Fan on the back foot, Lord Willow spoke in a rumbling voice.

"Damn it!"

"That thing has way too many tricks. My attacks aren't lethal to it at all!"

"It fears neither water nor fire, is impervious to blades, can change its form a thousand ways, and can regrow severed limbs. How did it evolve into something like this?"

Chen Fan genuinely couldn't make sense of it. Even the strongest demon kings had weaknesses. Birds of prey were usually weaker in the flesh. Some land beasts were too slow, some had weak attacks, and some were none too bright. Plant demons usually feared fire, and their true forms were hard to move.

But Lord Willow looked like a black willow tree, a plant-type Demonic Creature, and yet it was nothing like one. Those huge feet formed from its black roots strode about with astonishing speed. Apart from its attacks being a little weak, it was practically impossible to kill!

"I'll take a gamble!"

"Its roots and branches can change shape endlessly, but the trunk that makes up its body hasn't changed. And it's covered in thick, scale-like bark. That means it cares about its trunk, and goes to great lengths to protect it."

"If I can break through that thick, scaly bark and damage its trunk, I might be able to turn this fight around. Otherwise, it'll wear me down sooner or later."

Chen Fan parried Lord Willow's endless attacks, thinking quickly to himself.

He circulated Blood Sha Skill to its utmost limit. Terrifying blood mist billowed around him as Blood Sha Qi burst from his dantian and flowed through his eight extraordinary meridians into the Meteorite Iron Blade!

Heaven and Earth One-Blade Cut + Blood Sha Qi + Blade Intent + Blade Energy!

As Blood Sha Qi poured into it, the Meteorite Iron Blade glimmered black and red. The blade rang sharply, unable to withstand the terrifying force, and cracks began spreading across it!

"Slash!"

Chen Fan poured every technique he had into this strike and swept it viciously toward Lord Willow. The terrifying blade arc glowed an eerie crimson. Black Willow Branches shattered wherever it passed, and the arc slammed straight into Lord Willow's trunk.

Its scaly bark exploded with a crash like clanging metal. The Meteorite Iron Blade hacked into Lord Willow's trunk, cutting through more than half of it.

"Explode!"

Chen Fan shouted. The Meteorite Iron Blade embedded in Lord Willow's trunk burst apart, releasing a terrifying surge of energy that blasted the trunk into pieces!

Chen Fan saw a black, teardrop-shaped crystal embedded in Lord Willow's trunk, radiating terrifying energy. That energy flowed into Lord Willow's roots and branches, making them grow without end. Now it was rapidly repairing the trunk as well!

But Chen Fan clearly wasn't going to give it another chance. He threw away the Meteorite Iron Blade's broken hilt and punched through Lord Willow's shattered trunk, then slammed his fist into the strange teardrop-shaped crystal!

"No!"

Lord Willow roared. Its ancient face twisted with utter shock.

Crack!

Chen Fan's punch knocked the teardrop-shaped crystal out of Lord Willow's body. His fist was strong enough to shatter gold and cleave stone, but it failed to break the strange crystal. Instead, the crystal split the skin on his knuckles, and blood poured from his fist!

But the moment the teardrop-shaped crystal was knocked loose, Lord Willow's remains began to tremble violently. At last, they crumbled into a heap of black powder, which the wind swept away until nothing remained.

[Slayed the Willow Tree Demon; stole its remaining lifespan: zero years!]