Yan Chixia took out a handful of talismans from his bosom, threw them into the air, and chanted incantations. The yellow talismans immediately grew longer and wider, with golden light flashing on them, and wondrous magical seals dancing on the talismans.
A moment later, each talisman grew to be a full ten feet long, forming a small circle within a radius of one mile, making it difficult for any demons or monsters to escape.
"Bang!"
The thousand-year-old tree demon crashed headfirst into the talisman, then fell from mid-air, shrieking, "You stinking Taoist priest, we've kept to ourselves, we're just staying at Lanruo Temple, why did you have to harm me?"
Yan Chixia ignored his words and laughed loudly, "Old monster, are you scared out of your wits? Your true form is right here. Where can you run? You can run away from the temple, but can you run away from the monk?"
The thousand-year-old tree demon glared angrily, but there was nothing it could do.
"This is a demon-trapping barrier!"
Xiao Ning was overjoyed. He had seen this array barrier in the manual given to him by Yan Chixia, but he never expected that Yan Chixia would use it directly today.
Moreover, with a single strike, he trapped the thousand-year-old tree demon.
"You stinking Taoist priest, you forced me to do this!"
The thousand-year-old tree demon became fierce. He knew that he would not be able to get out of this demon-trapping barrier for a short time. Besides, his true form was here, so where could he run to?
Their only option was to fight to the death; perhaps that would save their lives.
With a fierce shout, the tree demon raised its hands high, and its two palms instantly transformed into the branches of two giant trees, each several tens of feet long. The branches had countless twigs, with lush green leaves and full of vitality.
Then, countless more branches surged up from the ground, and in an instant, the entire area was filled with lush green branches.
Apart from the two large branches that were several tens of feet long, every other branch was four or five feet long. When the branches were swung, the leaves trembled and made a rustling sound, which was extremely frightening.
"Young man, you'd better watch out! This tree demon is going to fight to the death!"
Yan Chixia shouted at Xiao Ning, brandishing his Xuanyuan Sword and slashing at the branches and leaves. With each branch he cut off, some black blood flowed out, which was presumably the life essence of the thousand-year-old tree demon.
There was no need for Yan Chixia to specifically remind him, because Xiao Ning was also surrounded by branches. Those branches were like the palms of a thousand-year-old tree demon, and a single touch could shatter one's bones. How could Xiao Ning dare to be careless?
In the original story, the thousand-year-old tree demon only used 80% of its power when it fought Yan Chixia because it had a way out.
However, the tree demon is now doomed. Having fought desperately, the thousand-year-old tree demon has experienced a surge in strength, now completely surpassing Yan Chixia.
"Damn it, if my true form were here, would I have allowed a mere tree demon to bully me like this? I've only just recovered to the seventh level of the Acquired Realm, and the difference in strength between me and this tree demon is enormous. This is going to be difficult!"
As Xiao Ning's thoughts raced, he unleashed a series of palm strikes, unleashing powerful energy dragons that struck the tree branches, causing them to creak and groan, but only managing to hold them off for a moment without shattering them.
The branches then swarmed over, and in an instant, Xiao Ning was in a dangerous situation.
"Brother Yan, save me!"
He only had time to cry out for help before he was surrounded by the tree demon's countless branches.
"Tree demon, cease your arrogance! Laozi, hasten this decree! Lend me heavenly fire to burn away all demons and monsters under heaven! Hurry!"
Seeing this, Yan Chixia was greatly alarmed. He took out a talisman from his bosom, recited the incantation, and saw a wisp of fire suddenly appear in the originally dark sky. The fire fell rapidly, growing larger and larger as it fell. When it was still seven or eight hundred meters above his head, the fire that fell from the sky covered an area of several miles.
This is a Heavenly Fire Talisman treasured by Yan Chixia. Among all talismans, it is the most difficult to refine and also the most powerful.
"Young man, come with me quickly!"
After Yan Chixia finished chanting the incantation, he swung his sword again, rescuing Xiao Ning from the tree branches. Then, the two of them didn't have time to waste words and hurriedly fled the spot, otherwise, it would be ridiculous to get burned.
The thousand-year-old tree demon also saw the firelight falling from the sky. He roared fiercely, "Ah, I will not let you go! You all deserve to die, you all deserve to die!"
The demon-trapping barrier was specifically designed to deal with demons, but it was useless against Xiao Ning and Yan Chixia, two humans, who could easily leave.
However, the thousand-year-old tree demon could not break through the barrier in a short time and could only helplessly wait for the heavenly fire to descend.
"boom!"
The heavenly fire didn't keep anyone waiting long. As soon as the roar of the thousand-year-old tree demon subsided, the heavenly fire fell down and accurately struck the barrier.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Several explosions rang out in succession, and flames roared up within the Demon-Trapping Barrier. The flames filled the sky, and the intense heat seemed capable of burning everything in the world.
"ah!!!"
The thousand-year-old tree demon roared mournfully amidst the flames, its screams filled with boundless hatred and tinged with fear.
The heavenly fire was no ordinary fire; in just a moment, it burned all the trees within the barrier to ashes, and even the Demon-Trapping Barrier was completely consumed by the heavenly fire.
After the heavenly fire, the ground was pitch black. The barrier disappeared, and the thousand-year-old tree demon was burned to ashes. Within a radius of several miles, there was no sign of life, only the ground that had been burned black.
Xiao Ning and Yan Chixia returned to the location where the thousand-year-old tree demon had been, inspecting the ground inch by inch to prevent the tree demon from faking its death.
After searching for a while, Yan Chixia stopped and laughed, "There is no demonic aura left in this area. It seems that the thousand-year-old tree demon was burned to death by heavenly fire."
"Brother Yan, have you searched underground?" Xiao Ning asked.
"underground?"
Yan Chixia frowned, as if he had thought of something, and drew the Xuanyuan Sword that had been sheathed.
Bang!
With a loud bang, he cleaved a crack more than ten feet long in the dark ground, and a large amount of black blood gushed out from the ground.
Why are you so aggressive? Can't you give me a way out?
Immediately afterward, a colossal tree grew out of the ground. The tree was tens of feet tall and three to five feet wide. Its dark trunk was scarred and damaged. Apart from the two remaining massive trunks, all the other branches had been burned away!