The two main trunks had no branches left, leaving only two bare branches, lifeless and devoid of vitality.
"Old monster, I never thought you'd still be alive!"
Yan Chixia was surprised at first, then laughed loudly: "Your strength is now less than one-tenth of what it used to be. What good is it to be alive?"
"Brother Yan, don't waste words with him, just kill him."
Xiao Ning urged.
Xiao Ning was well aware of the principle that if you don't kill a snake, you will suffer the consequences.
Moreover, villains usually talk a lot, giving the protagonist a chance to turn the tables. Xiao Ning didn't want to give this tree demon any chance to win.
Having lived for decades, how could Yan Chixia not understand the underlying principles? He hesitated for a moment, then flung the Xuanyuan Sword in his hand straight at the tree demon.
"Don't kill me!"
The thousand-year-old tree demon hurriedly begged for mercy. In his prime, he might have been able to withstand this sword strike, but unfortunately, he now possessed less than a tenth of his former strength, so he dared not risk his life to test the sword.
"Hmph, die!"
Without hesitation, Yan Chixia slashed down with his sword.
"Ah! Spare me!"
The thousand-year-old tree demon let out a miserable scream before being cleaved in two by the Xuanyuan Sword. The towering tree broke apart inch by inch, spewing out black blood essence, and it was dead beyond any doubt.
With a "thud!", the tree trunk fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
With his sharp eyes, Xiao Ning noticed a glimmer of green light emanating from the withered tree trunk. He stepped forward, kicked the trunk aside, and a piece of green, bead-like object fell down.
"Huh, what's this?"
Xiao Ning picked it up and examined it. It was an irregularly shaped round object, about the size of a ping-pong ball, shimmering with a soft green light.
"A thousand-year-old heartwood!"
Yan Chixia exclaimed in surprise and leaped over, staring intently at the beads in Xiao Ning's hand.
"What? A thousand-year-old heartwood? What is that?"
Upon hearing Yan Chixia's words, Xiao Ning's expression froze, and he asked in confusion.
I've never heard of this thing before.
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Chapter 4 (Final Chapter) (5.4k)
The air was slightly cool, and the night was as still as water.
A lawn outside Lanruo Temple.
"A thousand-year-old heartwood? What's its purpose?"
Upon hearing Yan Chixia's words, Xiao Ning was taken aback for a moment, but handed the bead to him without hesitation.
"A thousand-year-old heartwood! This is a real treasure!"
"The world is vast and full of wonders; the expansive earth has bestowed upon all living things endless possibilities!"
"Young man, the thousand-year-old wood core in your hand can only be produced by ancient trees that are over a thousand years old. This thing contains the most refined essence of wood and is a supreme medicine for healing and enhancing one's skills."
Yan Chixia explained, but instead of taking it, he pushed it back and said, "Young Xiao, this is perfect for you. After consuming this thousand-year-old wood core and refining its thousand-year-old medicinal power, you will be able to reach a higher realm!"
"This treasure is so precious, I absolutely cannot accept it. Brother Yan, I think you should take it!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ning quickly handed it over again.
"Haha, it's good that you have this intention, but for me now, this treasure can only heal injuries, not increase my power. It would be a waste to use such a treasure. So don't refuse, take it quickly!"
Yan Chixia was quite satisfied with Xiao Ning, feeling that he hadn't misjudged him, but he still shook his head and offered an explanation.
"this……"
Xiao Ning hesitated for a moment, then nodded heavily and said, "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony!"
Then, without further ado, he tilted his head back and swallowed the bead.
"Gurgle!"
The thousand-year-old wood heart slid down as soon as it entered my mouth, landing directly in my stomach, emitting waves of warmth. Then, under the action of stomach acid, the bead melted and transformed into a powerful medicinal force that spread outwards.
"Uh, I'd like to trouble Brother Yan to protect me!"
Xiao Ning only had time to say hello before sitting cross-legged on the ground, circulating his inner energy to refine the immense medicinal power within his body.
Seeing that Xiao Ning sat down cross-legged to refine the medicinal power without saying a word, Yan Chixia smiled and stood about ten feet away, holding his sword.
At this moment, he saw Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian, who had been pushed back several feet by the aftershocks of the fight, and after a long silence, he said, "You scholar, now that the tree demon is dead, you should step aside. This female ghost has harmed countless people, let me help her pass on to the afterlife!"
"No, Xiaoqian is innocent. She was coerced by the tree demon. I can't let you hurt her!"
Ning Caichen stepped forward, blocking Nie Xiaoqian's path, and spoke with righteous indignation.
"Hehe, I won't say any more to you. Are you going to give way or not?"