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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 4: A Demon in the Tree Cluster
A-Jiao supported her grandmother and Lin Chuyu to a safe place, rubbing her temples as she groggily asked, "My head hurts so much. What happened?"
Before fainting, Lin Chuyu had heard Ji Zichen's analysis. She briefly repeated, "Your headache is because the Rong Tree King possessed you. You all fell for the Rong Tree King's trick; there are no toxins in the mist."
A-Jiao exclaimed, "What? How could that be? If there's no toxin..."
Before A-Jiao could finish her sentence, Ji Zichen's voice came through, "The villagers without vines are still alive. Take care of them!"
Ji Zichen spread her form and led the Rong Tree King away.
Lin Chuyu placed her hands on A-Jiao's shoulders and glanced at the villagers before them. Noticing some had vines while others did not, she urged, "Don't ask questions right now; we need to save people."
The Rong Tree King was enormous. With each step it took, Ji Zichen had to move several yards to evade it. It was a tiring and thankless task. The Rong Tree King mocked, "You still want to save people? You should focus on saving yourself first."
Ji Zichen stood firm and replied, "Do you think you can kill me?"
The Rong Tree King swung a thick trunk towards Ji Zichen. She drew her Demon-Slaying Sword and sliced the trunk in half. The Rong Tree King had many branches and was not afraid of losing a segment. It chuckled ominously, "When I was just a sapling, my hands were stained with blood. Do you think that's how I became the Rong Tree King?"
Ji Zichen fixed her hawk-like gaze on the Rong Tree King. "Blood? How many have you killed?"
The Rong Tree King looked down at Ji Zichen from its towering height and explained, "That's just a metaphor. You understand our nature; you should know that water is crucial for a tree's growth. There is only one challenge to becoming the Rong Tree King."
Ji Zichen's eyes narrowed. "What challenge?"
The Rong Tree King let out a series of wild cackles and slyly glanced at Ji Zichen. "Of course, it's about competing for water and letting other saplings wither!"
Ji Zichen understood somewhat but was still taken aback.
Rong Tree King laughed, "What’s so surprising about this? You humans often do the same. Friends who once shared a meal can turn against each other over money or survival. You fight for power and wealth, while we compete for the size of our trunks and the lushness of our leaves. When I fight for water, I have no hesitation and no guilt; I will kill every sapling that competes with me for moisture."
Ji Zichen frowned deeply. "You truly are a demon among the Tree Cluster."
Rong Tree King arrogantly replied, "If you look down on me, then I will make you pay the price!"
The ground beneath Ji Zichen cracked open, and a root burst forth, wrapping around his ankle. Ji Zichen thought to himself, "This is bad!"
With his ankle trapped and unable to move, he saw Rong Tree King swinging another thick branch at him. Ji Zichen activated the Wind Buddha Bead, conjuring a Wind Barrier to protect himself. Even so, the branch shattered the Wind Barrier, sending Ji Zichen flying several yards away, crashing to the ground. Blood spilled from his mouth as his internal energy surged chaotically. Struggling to rise, he steadied himself and thought, "This is going to be tough."
Lin Chuyu, seeing him injured, cried out in worry, "Brother Ji!"
Ji Zichen urged, "Don't come over! Wake the villagers and get them out of here!"
Lin Chuyu was determined not to be a burden and complied.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his right wrist, Ji Zichen resolved, "To kill it, I'll have to use fire."
He shouted, "I'll burn you to ashes!"
"Four-Point Dragon God!” As the Fire Buddha Bead dimmed, four fire dragons roared forth with a fierce cry towards Rong Tree King. A glint of surprise appeared in Rong Tree King's eyes. "So it's the Five Elements Pearl. Few can control all five elemental forces; this is quite impressive."
As the four fire dragons danced through the air, they merged into one large fire dragon. The combined dragon surged with overwhelming flames, illuminating the sky as if it were daytime. Lin Chuyu, having just awakened several villagers, felt the intense heat radiating from above and covered her face. "It's so hot!"
With a thunderous crash, the fire dragon collided with Rong Tree King. The entire Banyan Tree erupted in flames. A surge of joy filled Ji Zichen's heart. "Got it!"
The whole Banyan Tree blazed like a towering inferno, its flames fierce and unyielding. Rong Tree King screamed in agony as he was consumed by the relentless fire. Some villagers witnessing this were filled with dread rather than relief. "What a ferocious fire dragon!"
Some people showed joy, exclaiming, "It's burning well!"
But moments later, the roaring flames suddenly transformed into white smoke with a puff. The tree trunk had been engulfed by the fire for only a few breaths; although the bark was charred, the inner layer remained intact. The Rong Tree King laughed arrogantly, saying, "Fire is useless against me!"
Ji Zichen found it hard to believe this fact—that the Rong Tree King had actually reversed the situation and stopped the fire.
Ji Zichen stared in disbelief, "How could you...!"
With an air of inviolable authority, the Rong Tree King replied, "Child, you are too naive. Let me tell you a secret: oxygen can suppress fire. Fire cannot burn without oxygen. This is a secret we Tree Cluster discovered during forest fires. Long before your kind existed, we Tree Cluster had already been here. There is an ancient teaching among us: whenever there is a forest fire, we simply need to stop releasing oxygen to control the spread of flames."
"While we can control our own release of oxygen, there is still residual oxygen in this world that we cannot control. That is why you were able to burn me. But now, the remaining oxygen has been consumed by the flames; your fire has no effect on me anymore. I also know that your Five Elements Pearl cannot summon the Fire Dragon twice in succession; there must be several hours of interval between uses."
"The Five Elements Pearl consists of Wind, Thunder, Water, Fire, and Earth. Currently, you have used Wind, Thunder, Fire, and Water; you only have Earth left. You wouldn't want to bury me with Earth, would you?"
The Rong Tree King laughed heartily.
Ji Zichen gritted his teeth in frustration and thought to himself, "If I had known earlier, I would have upgraded the Five Elements Pearl. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in such a tight spot. It's all my fault for being too frugal; using Earth won't cover it. There's only one method left."
Ji Zichen shouted angrily, "Don't get cocky! You haven't won yet!"
He raised his right palm towards the Rong Tree King and declared, "Earth Punishment Manifest!"
As soon as Ji Zichen finished speaking, countless grains of sand floated into the air from the ground. With a wave of his hand, the grains shot forward like tree bark tightly adhering to the Rong Tree King's trunk. Before Yu Ren could discern any movement, the Rong Tree King's face turned pale with fear. "This shouldn't be... how could this happen? This child...!"
Ji Zichen clenched his fist, and the grains of sand exploded against the tree's surface like fireworks. The entire trunk was covered in bloody marks; it swayed unsteadily as its branches shriveled and decayed. Lin Chuyu watched in horror and turned to Ji Zichen, asking, "Why is this tree bleeding...?"
Ji Zichen's face turned pale in an instant as he weakly replied, "These... these are my blood..."
"Ah!" Lin Chuyu screamed sharply.
Suddenly, with a loud "bang," the Banyan Tree shattered, cut down in an instant by a sharp axe.
As the tree trunk broke, a chubby boy wearing a red belly band jumped out. He looked about four or five years old and was quite plump.
The chubby boy appeared and attempted to flee, but Ji Zichen, struggling against excessive blood loss, pressed the Demon-Slaying Sword against the boy's neck. "Rong Tree King! Where do you think you're going?"
Lin Chuyu and Yu Ren gasped in unison, "This brat is the Rong Tree King!"
Rong Tree King glared angrily and said, "My true form has revealed itself; if you want to kill me, go ahead!"
Rong Tree King shot a furious look at Ji Zichen. "I didn't expect you to have consumed the Three Transformation Cultivation Pill."
Lin Chuyu finally understood why Ji Zichen's blood was splattered all over the tree; his blood was toxic to any Demon Beast.
Ji Zichen weakly replied, "Indeed, there’s a spirit infant within the tree. Otherwise, how could it cause such trouble? Your old face nearly fooled me."
Rong Tree King closed his eyes and resigned himself to death. "Just kill me; you’ve won."
Ji Zichen raised the Demon-Slaying Sword. "Do you really think you can still live?" Suddenly, Lin Chuyu shouted, "Stop!"
Ji Zichen looked at Lin Chuyu in surprise but said nothing. Lin Chuyu continued, "I won't kill you."
Rong Tree King paused in disbelief. "You won't kill me?"
Then Rong Tree King grew angry again. "I don't need your sympathy! Even if you kill me, you won't feel any better than I do!"
Lin Chuyu glanced at the awakened villagers before turning her gaze to the Rong Tree King. "Yes, those who are alive may not be happier than the dead. Beyond Mountain Valley, many are still killing each other. But here is a sanctuary; this is what A-Jiao told me."
A-Jiao stared blankly at Lin Chuyu.
Lin Chuyu did not look at her and continued, "We live in a world filled with unhappy people, so there is no need for us to torment and fight each other. Brother Ji, we must follow the laws of nature. My decision not to kill you is not out of sympathy but because I want you to help the villagers restore life to the Tree Cluster."
The Rong Tree King repeated in a daze, "Restore life to the Tree Cluster?"
Lin Chuyu explained, "We come from the Eastern Region, where everything is lush and green. But beyond the Eastern Region lies a scene of decay. Outside Banyan Grove, I saw many Banyan Trees rotting away. This was caused by the villagers experimenting with toxins. The villagers have harmed you, and you have harmed them; let's consider it even. You can communicate with the beings in Mountain Valley. Without your help, the creatures in the valley will not reconcile with the villagers."
After pondering for a moment, the Rong Tree King's expression softened slightly as it fixed its gaze on Lin Chuyu and asked earnestly, "Do you really believe we can coexist peacefully?"
Lin Chuyu had no answer in her heart, but she was certain. She turned to the villagers and asked, "Can you coexist peacefully?"
The villagers exchanged glances, unable to respond immediately. At that moment, Grandma A-Jiao coughed several times and stepped forward. "If Mountain Valley can restore life, we can plant fruits and vegetables and become self-sufficient. There will be no need to catch Golden Swallows or other animals for food."
The Rong Tree King seemed convinced. It stood up on its short legs and said, "If you do not go back on your word, I will communicate with the beings of Mountain Valley."
Lin Chuyu smiled lightly. "You can continue to release mist around the perimeter to keep outsiders from entering Mountain Valley, but there is no need for that around the village."
The Rong Tree King gradually stepped into the darkness and said, "I will remember your promise."
Seeing the Rong Tree King leave, Ji Zichen could no longer hold on; his vision darkened, and he fainted.
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