Nearly killed by its counterattack

Lu Heng unscrewed the lid of the oil drum, and a strong smell of diesel wafted out. He tilted his head, pointed the drum at the sewage pool, and tilted it sharply.

Black oil gurgled into the pool, floating on the murky surface and slowly spreading towards the direction where the Blood Banyan Tree was entwined. He didn't stop; a second bucket, a third bucket, diesel oil was poured out, then cutting oil was poured out, then hydraulic oil was poured out—the three oils mixed together, forming a multicolored oil film on the surface of the pool, with a pungent and choking odor.

The tendrils of the Blood Banyan Tree began to stir.

The dark red vines frantically probed above the pool's surface, lashing out with a crackling sound. One tentacle lashed out, its tip grazing Lu Heng's shoe and leaving a charred mark on the ground. But Lu Heng stood outside the safety boundary, out of their reach.

After emptying the pool of oil, he carried the last two buckets of diesel fuel and walked around the perimeter of the Blood Banyan Tree, pouring oil along the edge of the safety boundary to form a complete circular isolation zone. The oil seeped into the cracks in the ground and the gaps between the broken bricks, thoroughly soaking the entire area.

All the oil has been poured out.

Lu Heng threw the empty bucket on the ground, the bottom hitting the broken bricks with a dull thud. He straightened up, stretched his aching arms, and then took out the Dream Heart from the storage space of his Wristband.

The small, dark purple object lay in his palm, its surface shimmering with a faint light. Without hesitation, he crushed it.

A chill ran from his palms up his arms and down to the back of his head. Mental Energy surged back like water bursting its banks, instantly filling his parched senses and making him feel as clear-headed as if he had been immersed in ice water. The energy he had expended fighting the Bone Demon was completely replenished in that instant.

I don't mind using Dream Heart. The Sleepless Flower at the Shelter will be ready for harvest in a few days, so I won't lack the raw materials for Dream Heart.

He flexed his fingers and pulled a lighter from his storage space.

The metal casing felt heavy in my palm. I placed my thumb on the grinding wheel and pressed it gently—snap.

Flames splashed out, and the small, orange-yellow tongues of fire flickered twice in the wind.

Lu Heng threw the lighter into the oil stain at his feet.

Cutting oil is the most volatile oil. Almost at the same moment the flame hit the ground, a wall of fire exploded from beneath our feet, spreading rapidly along the ring-shaped oil strip. Flames leaped up to waist height, illuminating the entire factory area with an orange-red light. The floating oil on the surface of the pool was then ignited, and with a muffled boom, the entire wastewater pool was engulfed in flames.

A wave of heat hit him, and Lu Heng took two steps back, raising his hand to shield his face.

The Blood Banyan Tree was completely destroyed.

Dozens of tendrils simultaneously emerged from the sea of fire, lashing wildly in an attempt to extinguish the flames. Aerial roots broke off from the canopy and fell into the fire, scattering sparks everywhere. The entire tree trembled violently in the flames, emitting a low, piercing hiss that made one's teeth ache.

But the main trunk is still holding up.

Beneath the charred bark, dark red sap was still flowing, and the roots were still pushing deeper. The fire was fierce enough, but not enough. This thing's vitality was even more tenacious than he had expected.

Lu Heng glanced back at the Bone Demon.

It stood at the edge of the fire wall, its gray-white skeleton tinged with dark red by the firelight, and the cold light in its eye sockets flickered.

Lu Heng raised his hand and pointed into the distance.

The Bone Demon turned around, its long, slender legs carrying it swiftly to a safe distance. It stopped behind a broken wall, its cold light gleaming as it looked this way.

Lu Heng turned around, facing the sea of fire, and raised his hands.

Talent skills, maxed out.

Mental Energy poured out from his body, pure and extreme heat. Invisible heat waves surged from his palms and poured into the fire. The color of the flames began to change, from orange-red to dark red, from dark red to bright white, and finally to a dazzling, almost bluish-white color.

The temperature is soaring.

The air was distorted, and the scenery above the fire swayed and warped. The walls of the distant ruins were cracked from the heat, and chunks of cement fell down with a crackling sound. The ground underfoot was scorching hot; you could feel the heat on the soles of your shoes.

The bark of the Blood Banyan Tree began to crack.

One, two, then more than a dozen cracks spread from the surface of the trunk, and dark red sap seeped out from the cracks. When it encountered high temperatures, it instantly vaporized, hissing and rising into large plumes of dark red steam.

Seeing this, Lu Heng loosened his grip slightly.

That's about it. The main trunk is mostly burned through, sap is leaking out badly, the roots underground are scorched and withered, and the tendrils' thrashing is becoming increasingly weak. This thing won't last much longer.

He even considered whether he should stop early to save some Mental Energy.

Then the Blood Banyan Tree moved.

It wasn't the lashing of tentacles, nor the struggle of roots—the last thick side branch remaining on the main trunk snapped off suddenly in the raging fire, its entire body ablaze, and hurled straight at Lu Heng like a red-hot javelin.

That's too fast.

Lu Heng's pupils contracted sharply, and his body instinctively flinched to the side, but the burning branch reacted even faster—

A grayish-white shadow swept out from the side.

Bone Demon.

It emerged from behind the broken wall at some unknown time, its slender frame positioned in front of Lu Heng, its arms crossed, and it took the blow head-on.

boom.

The branch struck the Bone Demon's arm, the impact sending it flying three or four meters away. The bone plowed two deep grooves in the ground. The burning wood broke in two, tumbling down to Lu Heng's feet, sparks splashing all over his trouser leg.

The Bone Demon steadied itself, several ribs in its right arm cracked, but it didn't pause, turning around and lunging at the Blood Banyan Tree.

Lu Heng then realized that a layer of cold sweat had soaked through his inner lining.

He was just a step away. If that branch hadn't been blocked, with that speed and impact, it would have pierced his chest cavity directly.

He gritted his teeth, raised his hands again, and activated his Talent skills once more. He channeled his Mental Energy into the fire, causing the flames to heat up dramatically.

The Blood Banyan Tree has no second chance.

The trunk exploded from the inside under extreme heat, the sap boiled, the steam expanded, and the entire tree collapsed from the inside out. The crown, losing its support, crashed into the sea of fire, sending up a shower of sparks.

Lu Heng stared at the Wristband.

No kill was detected.

He drew his Deboning Knife, channeling his Mental Energy into the blade, which glowed with a faint white light. He stepped forward onto the scorching ground, the soles of his boots radiating heat.

Amidst the charred remains, a few remaining tendrils were still wriggling slightly.

Thin, charred tentacles, almost unrecognizable in their original color, emerged from beneath the ashes, slowly and stubbornly trying to burrow back into the soil.

Lu Heng slashed down with his sword.

The blade sliced through the charred remains with clean, decisive strokes. He circled the wreckage, severing everything still wriggling. Not a single one remained.

The Wristband vibrated the instant the last tentacle was severed.

Kill successful.

A line of text pops up on the screen:

[The Blood Banyan Tree has been killed. Disassemble it?]