Pill Cauldron Sect, back mountain.
Beneath the Heavenly Origin Tree.
The treant stood dozens of yards tall, its wooden body covered in gnarled patterns.
Ji Yuan stood atop a hill, his brow furrowed.
He could clearly sense the aura radiating from this treant avatar. It was unmistakably at the Nascent Soul Peak.
It was even more powerful than Yang Dingtian, whom he had killed before.
And it carried the tenacious vitality unique to wood-aspected beings. Hard to kill.
Very hard to kill!
Just then, the Ghost Envoy's voice sounded in Ji Yuan's Sea of Consciousness.
"Sure enough, no Spirit Plant that reaches the Fifth Tier is simple."
"That old thing separated part of its essence in advance and sealed it deep within the Heavenly Origin Tree's branches. This avatar was formed from that reserved essence and what remained of its body. Its Nascent Soul Peak strength is the real thing."
"Besides, it was originally a Fifth-Order Great Demon. Even after its realm fell, its strength is far beyond that of an ordinary Nascent Soul Peak cultivator. Lord Warden, you'd better be careful."
Ji Yuan gave a faint acknowledgment in his Sea of Consciousness.
Yet there was not a trace of fear in his eyes. Instead, fighting spirit blazed within them.
Since his ten-year seclusion, when he had created his own "Sword Nine" sword art and set his Dao Path toward uniting sword, body, and spirit,
he had never truly fought or tested the edge of that sword art.
This Nascent Soul Peak avatar of the Ancient Banyan King
was the perfect Sword-Testing Stone.
The Ancient Banyan King's enormous eyes swept over everyone, then settled on Dan Xuzi and Dan Yangzi nearby.
He gave a scornful laugh.
"You two fools helped an outsider deal with this old man. Now you know