"They're courting death! Those few Dou Huangs we just chased away are now venturing deeper. They're probably cursing us in their hearts. Yun Yun, let's not get involved in these things. Let them die if they want to! Your good intentions have been completely wasted!"
Queen Medusa glanced at the few Battle Emperors who had quickly rushed into the depths of the forest, leaving only a black shadow behind, and sneered.
"That's enough!"
Yun Yun also shook her head and sighed. She had wanted to kindly stop these people from going any further, but it wouldn't do much good.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the Dou Huangs were seen lying on the ground, barely alive.
"Help me..."
“It seems he’s been poisoned… There’s no hope! His internal organs are failing, so even if we detoxify him, it won’t help unless…” The woman in green glanced at him, then issued a critical condition notice before looking at Gu He.
"Don't look at me. My pills didn't fall from the sky. Since these people are going to their deaths, why should I save them?" Gu He shook his head and said.
The poison gas here is extremely potent; if you're not strong enough, inhaling even a little bit can be fatal. These guys have truly tasted the bitter fruit of their arrogance.
Let's go!
As they ventured deeper, the group witnessed the perils of the desolate ancient domain. The ferocious beasts were one thing, but the poisonous miasma within was even more dangerous, not only impossible to guard against but also terrifying beyond measure.
Fortunately, Green Robe possesses the Calamity Poison Body and has cultivated the Hundred Poisons True Scripture, so she is least afraid of these highly poisonous substances.
Another crimson poisonous mist loomed in front of her. The woman in green grabbed a handful of the poisonous gas and inhaled it directly into her body. A moment later, her delicate body trembled violently, and her face turned quite ugly.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Green Robe like this, Yun Yun and Medusa quickly asked.
The woman in green let out a soft breath and said gently, "There is indeed something strange about this. These are not poisonous miasma, but poisonous insects!"
"Poisonous insects?" Gu He was taken aback. He stared at the poisonous fog in front of him for a moment, but he did not find any sign of poisonous insects.
Jiang Liu looked at the blood-red poisonous mist in front of him and said, "These poisonous insects are extremely small, so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. They float in the forest, and what those people inhaled were actually hundreds of millions of these tiny poisonous insects. You probably have these things in your bodies as well. Green Robe's body itself contains a potent poison, and as soon as they entered her body, she was poisoned to death. Green Robe, you can study these poisonous creatures. If you can successfully cultivate them, they will be of great use."
"hiss!"
Upon hearing this, Gu He and the others couldn't help but gasp, feeling a chill run down their spines.
The thought of countless invisible insects being inhaled is terrifying.
As they ventured deeper into the chaotic mountains, the surrounding peaks rose and fell in a jumble of ridges, some reaching into the clouds, their summits halfway up to the heavens. Above the midpoint of these peaks, they were perpetually shrouded in mist, their tops invisible. Winding valleys meandered through the mountains, their depths treacherous and unpredictable, the dense forests often obscuring sunlight for hundreds of miles. Thousands of mosquitoes, snakes, and venomous insects roamed the forests. Some were so small they were almost invisible, their venomous mingling with the poisonous miasma, making them difficult even for a powerful cultivator to withstand. There were also swarms of poisonous ants, as large as a human finger, numbering in the hundreds of millions. Anyone who encountered them, human or beast, would be met with a ferocious attack, instantly reduced to skeletons.
After slaying dozens of ferocious beasts and traversing several treacherous lands shrouded in poisonous miasma, Jiang Liu finally arrived deep within the desolate ancient domain. Holding the Bodhi seed, Jiang Liu sensed the location of the ancient Bodhi tree, which was drawing ever closer.
Ahead, the mountains stretch out in a winding path, with wild grasses and gnarled shrubs growing along the way, and countless steep peaks and deep valleys.
Crossing a terrifying, poisonous land, one could see, several thousand feet away, an ancient tree with an extremely large canopy, standing alone on this vast plain. A pure aura wafted above the ancient tree, sometimes changing into various shapes, appearing mysterious and unpredictable.
"Is this the legendary Bodhi tree?"
"A towering tree, this is what a true towering tree looks like!"
Gazing at the ancient tree that exuded an ancient aura, standing tall between heaven and earth, everyone's hearts pounded violently.
Chapter 409 The Trial Begins
Ancient trees reach for the sky; just how tall and awe-inspiring are they? Only by witnessing them firsthand can one truly understand.
Even the river has never seen such enormous trees. The description of the ancient Bodhi tree as a single tree forming a forest is no longer appropriate; it should be called a single tree forming a forest, a pillar reaching to the sky.
"An ancient Bodhi tree?!"
While Jiang Liu was stunned by the enormous ancient tree in that distant place, Yun Yun and the others also exclaimed in surprise, their voices filled with a sense of awe.
This legendary thing, which can only be occasionally seen in some ancient books, has finally appeared before our eyes. How could we not be shocked?
"Today I've truly witnessed what a pillar supporting the sky looks like. I never knew there were such magnificent trees in the world. This trip was definitely worthwhile!"
A sense of awe filled everyone's hearts. Although they were far away from the ancient Bodhi tree, they could still feel its immense size. Its shade spread out all over the sky, like an ancient sacred object standing between heaven and earth, exuding an aura of antiquity and vicissitude.
"This ancient Bodhi tree seems to be somewhat special, and there may be great danger... Come, soon I will take you into the Great Thousand World, where it will be even more dangerous. Compared to it, the Dou Qi Continent is simply a greenhouse. Strive to grow to the point where you can protect yourselves! Let this ancient Bodhi tree be the first test of your training!" After saying that, Jiang Liu broke through the air and left, and the others followed closely behind.
Viewing the Bodhi Tree up close is undoubtedly another breathtaking sight. Its massive trunk, thousands of feet long, is like a pillar connecting heaven and earth. Ancient aura permeates its trunk, and its canopy is so vast that it can cover half of a city. Extremely rich and pure energy emanates from the Bodhi Tree, rippling across the sky and causing various magical phenomena to appear in the sky from time to time.
The sunlight poured down from the sky at this moment, shining on the ancient tree, giving it a translucent quality, and a powerful vitality permeated the air.
"This ancient tree, which has lived for countless years, if it could awaken sentience, would surely become the true ruler of this world! Even a strange fire can become an emperor; this Bodhi tree should also be able to develop its own wisdom. If..."
Jiang Liu's gaze was fixed on the enormous, indescribably massive Bodhi tree. Its pure aura gave people a sense of peace and tranquility. However, amidst this captivating tranquility, Jiang Liu felt a sense of unease.
This unease was clearly revealed from the ancient Bodhi tree, penetrating straight to the soul.
"It is extremely difficult for these naturally powerful alien life forms to shed their physical bodies and transform into human form. They also seem to be suppressed by the Heavenly Dao in their desire to become demons. Therefore, even if you develop intelligence, it is difficult to truly enter the ranks of cultivators. You can only strengthen your strength in this way."
Jiang Liu immediately noticed that something was wrong with the ancient Bodhi tree. Hidden within its seemingly vibrant and clear aura was a chilling gray aura. This gray aura possessed many negative emotions similar to those of humans. If one could not resist it, one would be controlled by it and become its puppet.
"You go ahead! I'll stay here and hold them off..."
Jiang Liu stood on the outer edge of the shade and did not take another step. Yun Yun, Medusa, Green Robe, and Gu He nodded to each other and then quickly stepped into the vast shade of the ancient tree.
In an instant, the man in green stopped in his tracks, halting their advance. He narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "An evil thought is enveloping us!"
"Evil thoughts?"
Everyone cultivated their primordial spirit and could sense the supernatural powers released by the Bodhi Ancient Tree. Moreover, the closer they got to the Bodhi Ancient Tree, the clearer the feeling of unease became.
However, they couldn't perceive the chilling gray aura that enveloped them as clearly as the one in green. After all, having recently been absorbing the Yin Poison, the one in green had begun to touch upon supernatural powers from the soul.
"Be careful, let's prepare for the worst! Since the Abbot is using this Bodhi tree to train us, there must be great danger..." Queen Medusa exuded an extremely dense black aura, and the Heavenly Demon Qi transformed into a Devouring Python.
Yun Yun also condensed nine swords, arranged in a sword formation, ready to be drawn at any time.
Gu He was slightly weaker, but after all, he was a pill refiner, so it didn't matter that his combat strength was a little weaker.
As they ventured deeper, the four focused their attention on the enormous Bodhi tree. About a hundred feet from the trunk, there was a bright radiance, which resembled a massive energy heart, faintly emitting a powerful pulsating sound.
"Bodhi mind!"
All eyes were drawn to the radiance hidden within the massive tree trunk, and everyone's heart skipped a beat.
"Splash!"
Although the treasure was right in front of them, the four of them did not take another step forward. Instead, they were filled with dread and sensed great danger.
Sure enough, the ancient Bodhi tree that stood quietly on the grassland suddenly emitted a faint "rustling" sound. Immediately, the four of them saw dense branches intertwined and hanging down from the shade of the tree. When these branches touched the ground, they slowly split open, and five figures stepped out slowly from them with expressionless faces.
As these five figures stepped out, the space between heaven and earth rippled violently, and a terrifying pressure suddenly spread out!
"It's a half-saint level expert!"
"No, it should be a demigod puppet!"
Despite feeling this pressure, the four people's expressions did not change. Although these five figures were all half-saint level experts, they were not incapable of fighting!
What made the four of them solemn was that this Bodhi Ancient Tree could actually capture a powerhouse with the strength of a half-saint and refine him into a puppet. Who knew if the strength of the Bodhi Ancient Tree had increased over the years?
Even without becoming stronger, being able to bewitch a half-saint is still extremely terrifying! Turning a half-saint into a puppet—who on the continent could possess such a terrifying ability?
"Fight! You're just a half-saint! But be careful of this Bodhi tree, lest your will be extinguished by it..." As Medusa finished speaking, the Heavenly Demon Qi surged forth in a devastating roar.
"boom!"
As Medusa made her move, the five puppet figures that had been standing motionless like statues in front of the tree trunk suddenly turned their empty gazes toward the four people and moved at the same time. With seemingly stiff but actually extremely strange steps, they appeared in front of the four people in a flash. Without saying a word, a terrifying palm strike shattered space and slammed down on the Devouring Python that Medusa had condensed.
Chapter 410 Each Using Their Own Methods
Faced with the ferocious attack of the semi-saint puppet, Queen Medusa sneered. Although she was only at the Dou Zun level, her combat power was not that of a Dou Zun; it was comparable to that of a one-star or two-star Dou Sheng.
The one in green, in particular, is stronger than even a three-star Dou Sheng.
But we must be careful here.
The danger wasn't the five semi-saint puppets, but the enormous Bodhi tree before them.
The Cihang Pudu of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" possesses a "life-snatching chant" that can convert those lacking willpower into its puppets. This "Bodhi Ancient Tree" also possesses a similar ability, which even a semi-saint cannot resist.
While resisting the invasion of the Bodhi Tree's negative emotions, the four of them managed to handle the situation with ease, while also fending off the attacks of the semi-saints.
A black cloud floated around Medusa, seemingly ephemeral but heavier than mercury; it was the supreme ancient demonic path of the Heavenly Demon God-Slaying Technique.
In the blink of an eye, her graceful figure transformed into the form of a giant python, its body covered in numerous scales, resembling a suit of dark jade armor. Even more strangely, a pair of forelegs had sprouted from the front of the python's body. Although these claws currently seemed to serve only a decorative purpose, once a snake grows claws, regardless of their size, number, or usefulness, it is already qualified to be called a jiao (a type of dragon). Snakes are considered demons, but jiao are demigods. Once all four claws have fully grown, it will undergo a second transformation into a dragon, achieving enlightenment!
If the original form of the White Snake had such claws, Fahai would definitely not have fought her, but would have invited the beauty to Jinshan Temple for tea and enjoyed some incense offerings.
Medusa cultivated the "Shushan" world's techniques and then the "Heavenly Demon Slaughtering God Technique" from the "Yangshen" world, transforming into a dragon. Although she has not yet become a true dragon, her strength is growing rapidly.
Two newly grown claws stepped on a dark cloud and spat out a terrifying black gas towards the half-saint puppet. The gas surged violently, and the fierce black water true energy swept across the sky and earth, as if all the poison gas had been released.
The black energy impacted the semi-saint puppet, causing its flesh to rot.
Jiang Liu looked at the "Heavenly Demon Gathering Demonic Qi" from afar and nodded slightly.
As the semi-saint puppet attacked, a faint, earthy-yellow eggshell enveloped Yun Yun's body, making her impervious to all evil and unbreakable by any magic.
This is the Five Elements Sword Fiend. Don't underestimate this light yellowish-brown eggshell. It is the Earth Fiend among the Five Elements Sword Fiends. Even a Battle Saint would find it difficult to break through it in one blow, let alone a Half Saint.
Then, the Golden Essence Fiend Sword formed nine golden sword energies. Each of these golden sword energies was like a long sword, with a lifelike and vivid blade, spine, hilt, and hilt.
Although it was not as skillful as Jiang Liu's, it was still very spiritual, with traces of sword intent condensed within it.
"This Five Elements Sword Aura is quite suitable for her. It has already condensed sword intent and refined her will, making her capable of entering the ancient holy path!" Jiang Liu looked at the nine flying swords and nodded slightly.
As for the strongest one, the one in green, he spread his sleeves, first a wisp of yellow smoke, then transformed into hundreds of golden star-like Gu worms, which made strange noises all around, chirping and chattering.
As the woman in green waved a small banner, a loud "hum" rang out, and countless golden stars appeared, filling the sky and sweeping across the land. The banner then released a cloud of demonic poisonous mist, dozens of feet long, enveloping the woman in green, and within the black, poisonous mist, graceful women danced.
Green Robe's cultivation, combined with his Calamity Poison Body, is incredibly powerful. Now, as he comprehends the power of Yin Souls, his methods are becoming increasingly bizarre.
These poisonous insects spread their golden wings and instantly enveloped the two semi-saint puppets, shimmering with golden light, making them appear as if they were two golden figures. It was impossible to tell whether they were gnawing or biting, and this lasted for about a dozen breaths. The green-robed figure moved her lips and let out a soft whistle, and the golden silkworms flew back. The semi-saint puppet's body was now devoid of blood, bitten into a skeleton by the golden silkworms, its bones skeletal and white.
Then, the graceful woman in the black mist moved and burrowed into the white bones, obliterating the puppet's will.
Gu He, the only man among the four, could only defend passively, but his defense was tight and well-controlled, making it difficult even for a half-saint to harm him.
"Heavenly Demon Slayer Godslayer, Heaven-Turning Seal!"
After severely injuring a demigod puppet, Medusa instantly transformed into a half-human, half-snake form and slammed her palm down on the puppet as if the sky were collapsing and the heavens were overturning.
The power of this "Heaven-Turning Seal" move is beyond description; perhaps only a real collapse of the sky could evoke such a destructive aura.
It struck his head with lightning speed!