That patch of empty nothingness burned an indelible mark onto everyone's retinas.
Fear was the best order.
The battlefield, which had been a chaotic mess just moments ago, fell into an eerie peace after the assassin was reduced to ashes.
No one dared go anywhere near Chen Yan, who sat cross-legged.
The area within ten zhang of him had become an absolute no-go zone.
The struggle for the leaves continued, but its intensity had clearly dropped several notches.
Everyone consciously or unconsciously avoided that area, keeping their movements restrained for fear of making too much noise and disturbing the God of Slaughter in seclusion.
Before long, every falling leaf from the Enlightenment Tree had found an owner.
Those who obtained leaves were all wild with joy.
Some powerful groups even set aside part of their members to stand guard, allowing their core members to begin refining the leaves on the spot in an attempt to seize this once-in-a-millennium opportunity.
For a time, a strange sight appeared across the entire platform of tree roots.
Dozens of small groups were clearly divided, each occupying a patch of ground.
At the center of every group sat someone cross-legged, surrounded by a glow of varying intensity. They were clearly refining the leaves from the Enlightenment Tree with all their might.
Their companions stood guard around them with weapons in hand, warily eyeing everyone else.
A fragile, delicate balance had taken shape.
Those who hadn't managed to claim a leaf, or lacked the strength to compete, watched from a distance, their faces filled with complicated emotions.
There was envy and jealousy, but above all, curiosity.
They wanted to see just how miraculous these legendary leaves of the Enlightenment Tree, said to help people awaken a Void Star Sign, really were.
"Look over there!"
Suddenly, a