It was only a spirit valley that had produced Life-Giving Dew that could nurture beings like Tree-Men.
This place could not be lingered in. Xiao Chen thought of the Tree-Man not far away that was undergoing transformation—an existence comparable to a vicious dragon. It was so close to this spot, likely to guard the Life-Giving Dew, but it was occupied by its metamorphosis and could not attend to matters here.
Xiao Chen and his three skeletons quickly withdrew from the depths of the valley, carefully evading the two Tree-Men along the way. The little white beast seemed to understand the need not to disturb those great creatures and was unusually quiet on the return path. Once, relying on its spiritual perception, they avoided a Tree-Man that had taken the form of an ancient towering tree. In the night, without careful observation, one would never have guessed that it was a moving green giant.
Counting the old Tree-Man undergoing transformation, five Tree-Men had been discovered in Tree-Man Valley. This was an immensely powerful fighting force, especially the old Tree-Man, who might have reached an inconceivable level of strength.
Xiao Chen did not believe that Zhao Lin’er and her group could control the transforming old Tree-Man. It had already fully taken human form, its intellect far surpassing that of the other Tree-Men. With its unmatched combat power, how could it ever be subjugated by others?
Having already resolved to distance himself from the killing whirlpool and find a place to hide and cultivate, Xiao Chen decided to make one move before leaving—a warning and a retaliation to those in Tree-Man Valley. He and the three skeletons transformed into four streaks of light, circling the outer perimeter of the valley and setting fires everywhere.
Most of the vegetation on Dragon Island was oily; once ignited, it burned fiercely. Xiao Chen had to use a torch, while the three skeletons, possessing considerable spiritual power with their soul-flames flickering, released patches of Nether Darkflame wherever they passed. In just a short while, the entire surroundings of Tree-Man Valley were ablaze, towering flames unstoppable, spreading toward the valley interior.
Xiao Chen and the three skeletons dared not linger even for a moment. They fled at full speed, unable to return to the Death Swamp region or even head back in that direction. Like flying, they dashed toward the western part of Dragon Island—a territory they had never explored before.
Behind them, the fire roared into the sky, dazzlingly bright in the deep night, half the heavens stained red. Xiao Chen and the skeletons ran more than a dozen li before stopping to look back. No one pursued; besides the roars of wild beasts, there was no other sound.
The little white beast had also followed. During the fire-setting, it had been excited for a long time, then fled all the way alongside them.
Standing on a hill, gazing at the glowing valley, Xiao Chen could faintly hear the noise and chaos within. He could imagine Zhao Lin’er’s mood at that moment. Even if there had been no casualties, it was a heavy blow to everyone in the valley. Their alliance had only just been formed, and on the very first day, someone had burned Tree-Man Valley—an act of contempt, a humiliation.
Xiao Chen watched no longer. He and the three skeletons swiftly moved through the forest, heading west while avoiding the savage beasts. They traveled dozens of li through the night before stopping. It must be said that Dragon Island seemed vast indeed; these dozens of li still lay in its outer reaches, marking it as a large island.
Let others go mad, let others slaughter. Xiao Chen did not wish to be drawn into the vortex of contention for the Companion Dragon King. In the coming days, he would go into seclusion, quietly waiting for someone to find the Companion Dragon King, then hitch a ride on their large ship to leave Dragon Island and enter the vast continent of the World of Immortality.
Perhaps by coincidence, perhaps owing to some sinister force on Dragon Island, the great fire in Tree-Man Valley blazed for an hour, destroying half the valley, when suddenly the clear starry sky was overrun by rolling black clouds, and a torrential downpour fell, extinguishing the roaring flames.
No one in the valley was injured, but every face wore a grim expression. The signs of arson were obvious. Zhao Lin’er stood on the shoulder of a Tree-Man, a bright radiance enveloping her body, shielding her from the rain. The water mist formed a thin, hazy smoke around her, making her seem ethereal and unreal.
Yet the Royal Celestial Maiden’s heart was far from that etherealness. Fury burned within her. She had thought it might be other cultivators on the island striking at their alliance, but she quickly dismissed that. She had found distinctive bone-claw marks left by the three skeletons—this was undoubtedly Xiao Chen’s doing.
Truly a tit-for-tat contest. She had just gathered a formidable force, and Xiao Chen had already thoroughly humiliated them. This would surely become a laughingstock among the other cultivators on Dragon Island.
Among the group, Kaio let out a low growl. Having been driven out of Tree-Man Valley so shamefully by Xiao Chen’s fire filled him with rage. His companion, Arolde, remained calm, his gaze fixed on the three Tree-Men. There were five Tree-Men in the valley; two deep inside were unaffected by the fire. Of the remaining three, only one had its left arm burned—the other two were unharmed. This was a powerful fighting force, and Arolde was very tempted.
The others were also furious. Over a dozen experts had been reduced to a miserable state by a single act of arson.
Most of the cultivators on the outer reaches of Dragon Island were roused by the commotion. Some stood on hilltops gazing into the distance, others climbed to the tops of tall trees to watch. A few Spellmasters and Spiritists even flew over for a closer look.
Yan Qingcheng stood on a nearby cliff, looking at the starry sky elsewhere while dark clouds alone shrouded Tree-Man Valley. She murmured thoughtfully, “This is the power of Dragon Island itself...”
It was an unsettled night.
The next day, the incident of burning Tree-Man Valley spread like wildfire.
Xiao Chen once again became the center of attention, yet no one could find his trail. It seemed he had vanished from Dragon Island. Many speculated that he had fled into the island’s depths.
But this disturbance did not last long. It was soon overshadowed by what happened next. Less than three days after the Tree-Man Valley incident, a major event occurred on Dragon Island: someone had discovered the Companion Dragon King!
“Roar—”
Dragon cries shook heaven and earth, sending myriad beasts into panic. Yet the source of the sound was merely a little dragon a little over a meter long! Its immense sonic waves, like thunderstorm winds, violently shook the forests. In terms of sheer sound power, it rivaled that of the Tyrannosaurus or the Eight-Armed Malignant Dragon!
No comments:
Post a Comment