Towering trees filled the Tree Realm, linked like rows of small mountains. Their branches and leaves spread like canopies, layer upon layer, preventing even a sliver of light from reaching the ground.
Fang Yun rode the Marquis Wu Chariot between trunks like city walls, as though wandering through the night.
By now, Fang Yun had stopped breathing entirely, sustaining his body solely with literary qi. Dim sacred qi enveloped him, preventing him from giving off any aura foreign to the Tree Realm.
Fang Yun's eyes glimmered faintly as he scrutinized his surroundings, remaining alert for Fierce Trees at every moment.
The Fierce Trees were an enormous race. In Burial Saint Valley, they were a force capable of contending with blood-toothed vines; even the mighty Mountain Saint Spirit race fell slightly short of them.
The most troublesome of the Fierce Trees were neither Giant Treefolk, Steel Giant Trees, nor Cloud Giant Trees, but Screech Trees.
These Fierce Trees grew by absorbing remnants of sacred qi. Individually, their strength was unremarkable, but they were numerous, and their crowns were laden with Screech Fruits. Whenever they encountered an enemy, the Screech Fruits would dart in every direction, unleashing piercing, highly aggressive shrieks.
Once the shrieking began, it would inevitably draw large numbers of Fierce Trees.
When Screech Fruits landed on other trees, they would drain those trees of all their power and produce inferior but numerous Screech Fruits. These inferior fruits would take flight again and could likewise occupy other trees to produce new Screech Fruits. However, the final generation retained only the lowest level of power and could no longer produce new fruits.
Only those in the Emperor Realm had the strength to kill a Screech Tree before it erupted, preventing its shrieks from drawing other Fierce Trees.
Apart from those in