At those words, strange rustling rose from within the earth, as though countless gophers were burrowing in every direction, tearing apart the structure here.
Very soon, the thing behind it revealed its ferocious visage. Amid a crashing roar, thick, gnarled roots suddenly thrust out from the northern part of the underground space. They looked like twisted old tree roots, yet they danced with near-mad frenzy, lashing the earth and producing dull thump, thump sounds.
Nor was there only one. At a glance, there were more than twenty of them. Each was as thick as a thigh, and the portion that had emerged alone averaged two or three zhang in length. They continued extending forward like wildly dancing giant serpents. Strangely, their tips never collided; whenever they came within a hair's breadth, they veered away from one another. It was clear that these things possessed intelligence!
Qu Cheng gave a muffled grunt. "Azure Emperor's Treasure Garden. Duanmu Senqiu!"
The former was the name of the magic treasure, while the latter was its wielder. This fellow was an old acquaintance of Qu Cheng's, and their relationship was far from pleasant. Whenever they met, more often than not they schemed against one another—or simply came to blows.
As he muttered here, a gap opened amid the luxuriant roots, revealing a large, bearded face. The man's body was likely thoroughly concealed by the tree roots, and frankly, that face was not much of a feast for the eyes either. Together with the enormous roots dancing around him, he looked rather like a tree demon.
Naturally, no one cared about that now. This man had arrived with an astonishing presence, and the magic treasure in his hand was even more renowned. Even Ancestor Gu Liang cast him a glance. Qu Cheng, however, found it strange.