Throughout the journey, the little beast chuckled incessantly. Its laughter was remarkably strange, sounding almost like that of a human infant. It was elated, brimming with curiosity about everything around it, as if it had never set foot in this region before. Occasionally, when they encountered large ferocious beasts, it showed no fear at all and several times tried to rush toward them, but Xiao Chen held it back.
They arrived once more at Tree-man Valley, but this time they did not approach the entrance. Xiao Chen and the three skeletons scaled the steep valley wall directly and peered down into the open valley below.
The valley was a lush expanse of emerald green, bursting with vitality. Clusters of exotic flowers and rare herbs carpeted the ground, their rich fragrance perfuming the air. Blossoms of every color swayed in the gentle breeze, creating a mesmerizing sea of rippling hues. Coupled with the cascading waterfall and flowing springs within the valley, it was truly a place of peerless beauty. Only a land of such spiritual energy could nurture ancient trees that had stood for ten thousand years and give birth to Tree-men.
To burn it all down with a single fire would be a great pity. Yet Xiao Chen could see no better way.
Just then, he noticed cultivators moving about near the valley. It seemed he was not the only one fixated on Tree-man Valley. He had come to settle the enmity with Zhao Lin'er, but the others had come to draw close to her, lured by her peerless beauty and the formidable combat power of the Tree-men. This made Xiao Chen sense that matters were growing complicated.
He could see one Tree-man guarding the valley entrance, and two others moving about inside. Their massive, jade-green forms shimmered with a faint green radiance, appearing both mysterious and overwhelmingly powerful. The lurking cultivators dared not force their way in; they waited quietly outside the valley.
As Xiao Chen was pondering, a commotion arose at the valley entrance. The stunningly beautiful Zhao Lin'er appeared, standing serenely on the shoulder of a Tree-man. She hung a large banner stitched together from animal hides at the valley mouth.
The banner was extremely conspicuous, emblazoned with several large characters written in beast blood: "To form an alliance with Tree-man Valley, slay this man as proof of sincerity."
Below the blood characters was a portrait of Xiao Chen, painted vividly by Zhao Lin'er's own hand.
Instantly, seven or eight cultivators emerged from concealment and gathered at the valley entrance. Xiao Chen was not far away; he saw everything clearly. His heart could not remain calm. Zhao Lin'er's move was utterly ruthless.
The Royal Celestial Maiden's unmatched beauty, combined with the tremendous combat strength of the Tree-men, was a powerful temptation! Those who coveted her beauty and those who sought to subdue the Tree-men would surely gather at her side. For Xiao Chen, this could prove catastrophic, a mortal threat to his life.
It was easy to foresee that Zhao Lin'er would gather a formidable force—the first alliance formed on Dragon Island. Xiao Chen had not expected her to devise such a scheme. No wonder she appeared so confident, in no hurry to lead the Tree-men in pursuing him.
Xiao Chen felt a profound sense of danger. He lay motionless on the valley wall, watching the developments with unwavering attention.
All the cultivators in the nearby region were stirred. Since the Tree-men had first appeared before the cultivators yesterday, this valley had become a focal point for many. Now, with the blood banner raised, it drew even more attention. Many cultivators flocked to the scene.
In just over half a day, thirteen people had joined Tree-man Valley. Among them were Spellmasters, Spiritists, and martial artists. These individuals had originally operated in groups of two or three, each capable of holding their own. Now, united, they instantly formed a force of immense combat power.
Tree-man Valley had become the first alliance on Dragon Island. Their primary mission was not to seek the Ancestral Dragon or the Companion Dragon Kings, but to eliminate Xiao Chen.
The formation of this alliance was a major event. Its cause and process spread quickly, and for the first time, Xiao Chen's name became known to many cultivators. Within half a day, news had spread across the outer reaches of Dragon Island. He was now something of a "celebrity."
By the afternoon, no further cultivators joined Tree-man Valley. Those still lurking in the shadows mostly adopted a wait-and-see attitude, watching how events would unfold. Toward dusk, two more joined: the forest tribe's strongman, Arold, and the barbarian youth, Kao.
The strength of Tree-man Valley had undoubtedly increased further. Xiao Chen felt the pressure and danger mounting.
On a distant mountain peak, the incomparably graceful Yan Qingcheng watched Arold and Kao enter Tree-man Valley. "Arold wants to subdue the Tree-men," she remarked.
The golden-haired handsome man, Rand, nodded. "He finally made his move. But I wonder if his natural spiritual power is sufficient; otherwise, he might be grasping at shadows."
"This Xiao Chen is in great trouble..."
"Should we extend them a favor?"
...
Xiao Chen had concealed himself on the valley wall for the entire day, quietly observing everything. The three skeletons remained motionless, seemingly cultivating their soul-flame. As for the little snow-white beast, it had initially blinked its large, bright eyes, watching everything with curiosity. Eventually, seeing that Xiao Chen and the others did not move, it lost interest and curled up beside him, falling into a deep sleep.
It slept for most of the day. When the sunset clouds dyed the sky red, the little beast opened its eyes, patted its grumbling belly, and made "ya-ya" sounds at Xiao Chen. Seeing that he still did not move, it huffed in dissatisfaction, and bearing its lusterless treasure tree on its head, transformed into a streak of white light and dashed into Tree-man Valley.
The three skeletons seemed to revive, emerging from their deathly stillness and flexing their joints with renewed vigor.
Xiao Chen waited for the deep of night.
The moon rose, stars appeared, and nocturnal birds called out. Faint flickers of campfire shone from the valley. Zhao Lin'er was together with several Tree-men; the dozen or so cultivators had split into several pairs, sitting around fires discussing matters.
It was not until late into the night that the last sparks died out. With so many cultivators gathered together, no one feared any sneak attack.
Xiao Chen waited another half hour, then prepared to act. He knew that even if the valley were turned into a sea of flames, it would be mostly ineffective against those cultivators, and perhaps even against the Tree-men. He decided to strike and immediately retreat far away, finding a hidden place to cultivate. This attack was, in a way, a gesture—at least enough to make his enemy suffer some embarrassment.
Just as Xiao Chen was about to move, the little beast returned. It had eaten something and its little belly was round and taut, so full that it could barely waddle.
"Urp..." The little fellow actually let out a belch. Its mouth was glistening, coated with something like immortal nectar. Those crystalline drops actually shimmered with faint, radiant light.
Xiao Chen was greatly astonished. This snow-white little beast was far too extraordinary. Had it found a spiritual spring or immortal milk? The liquid clinging to its mouth sparkled with points of light—definitely not something ordinary.
"What did you eat?" Xiao Chen stared at it in amazement. The three skeletons also gathered around.
The little beast looked utterly content, patting its round belly and "hmphing" softly to express its comfort.
"Hey, where is your treasure tree?" Xiao Chen was shocked to find that the small tree had vanished.
The little beast lay comfortably among the flowers and grass, pointing a tiny paw toward the valley to indicate that it had left the treasure tree there.
Xiao Chen was speechless. This little creature was far too careless. It treated the sacred treasure tree with such indifference, casually discarding it. If the treasure tree had a spirit, it would surely lament, "I have encountered an unworthy beast."
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