206: Hong Ning

After a brief rest, Xiao Zhuo continued his journey. Day quickly turned to night, and Xiao Zhuo had already reached the last dangerous area indicated on the map: a region completely covered by gigantic vines.

These vines were as thick as pythons, dark purple in color, and covered with a viscous liquid, emitting a nauseatingly sweet and pungent odor.

They were not inanimate objects but slowly writhed and coiled like living snakes.

The moment Xiao Zhuo stepped onto the edge of the vine forest, the nearest vine shot out, its tip sharp as a spear, piercing the air as it lunged straight for his throat!

Its speed far surpassed that of the previous bone spears.

"Clang!" Xiao Zhuo joined his fingers like a sword, pouring all his strength into a fierce thrust, precisely striking the side of the vine tip and deflecting it.

A tremendous recoil force came back, making his finger bones tingle slightly.

The toughness of the vine far exceeded his imagination!

Immediately after, more vines were startled, sweeping towards him like a purple tide.

Not only were they immensely strong and incredibly fast, but what was more terrifying was that with every attack, the sweet and pungent odor emanating from the vines tried to penetrate Xiao Zhuo's seven orifices. A strong sense of dizziness instantly assailed him, as if his Soul was about to be torn away!

"Soul-Devouring Poison?!" Xiao Zhuo's heart tensed. He immediately held his breath, sealed his pores, resisted the mental erosion with powerful willpower, and simultaneously activated his Devouring power to neutralize the toxins already absorbed into his body.

He dared not clash head-on again. His figure weaved and dodged through the dense vine shadows, searching for the relatively sparse passage marked on the map.

However, the vines seemed to possess intelligence, constantly blocking his path.

A vine silently broke through the soil beneath his feet, coiling around his ankle!

Xiao Zhuo realized this with a start and leaped up, but several vines had already descended from above like a net!

There was no escape!

"Roar!" Xiao Zhuo let out a muffled growl, no longer holding back.

His fists clenched tightly, his muscles and bones resonated, and a faint golden glow appeared beneath his skin.

He abandoned all flashy techniques, condensed his power into his fists, and fiercely punched the vine net that was closing in!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Fist shadows were like mountains, their momentum like crashing thunder!

The coiling vines were forcefully blasted open and broken by the violent fist Qi!

Foul-smelling sap splattered, landing on Xiao Zhuo's exposed skin, emitting a "sizzle" of corrosion and causing a burning pain, but he paid it no mind.

He was like a humanoid Vicious Beast, forcibly carving out a path in the sea of vines. Every punch was delivered with full strength, and every kick shattered the coiling roots.

The poisonous mist corroded his spirit, and the lashing vines left bloody marks on his body, but his eyes were sharp as knives, his only goal—the altar in the center of the vine forest!

Finally, at the cost of being savagely struck on the back, leaving a deep, bone-visible whip mark, he suddenly burst out of the vine encirclement!

The view ahead suddenly cleared.

In the center of the vine forest was a cleared circular open space.

In the middle of the open space stood an ancient black altar.

Above the altar, the scene was shocking.

A figure was bound there.

Her lower body seemed to be integrated with the altar, transforming into gnarled roots, as if cast from black profound iron, deeply embedded within the altar.

Several thick, dark-green chains, shimmering with Seal runes, coiled around her waist and arms, their other ends deeply submerged into the Void Realm around the altar, seemingly connecting to the sealing power of the entire ancient city.

Her face was largely obscured by her disheveled white hair, revealing only a pale, almost transparent jawline and tightly pressed, bloodless thin lips.

She wore an ancient but heavily damaged dark-red long dress, and her exposed skin was also as pale as jade, yet it exuded a breathtakingly fragile beauty.

What was most unsettling was her aura.

Despite being suppressed so cruelly, despite not a trace of magical power emanating from her, her very existence radiated a 'Concept' that made one's Soul feel cold and despairing.

It was a bone-deep loneliness, a resentment accumulated over myriad years, and a 'Concept' of 'absolute' that seemed capable of freezing all emotions in the world.

Xiao Zhuo stood at the edge of the altar, his wounds still bleeding, his breathing burning. While activating the Physical Body power within him to repair his Physical Body, his sharp eyes locked onto the figure on the altar.

He slowly took out the jade tablet given to him by the Tree God from his embrace, raised it high, and said in a deep voice, "Junior Xiao Zhuo, I have come at the request of Senior Tree God to retrieve something from you, Senior..."

Above the altar, the face obscured by white hair moved slightly.

Then, Xiao Zhuo saw her eyes.

Through the gaps in her white hair, a pair of ice-blue eyes slowly opened.

There was no ripple in those eyes, only emptiness and coldness, like two gems frozen with myriad years of ice, reflecting Xiao Zhuo's blood-stained figure.

No anger, no excitement, only a bone-deep indifference.

A cold, emotionless voice, yet it resounded directly in Xiao Zhuo's mind, like a cold wind blowing through icicles: "That old Chai Tou (Wood Head/Stubborn Head)... he actually managed to find a Body Cultivator to send to his death?"

The voice paused slightly, carrying a faint, almost illusory hint of mockery: "I can give you the item. But did he tell you what you need to pay to get it?"

Xiao Zhuo was stunned, and his expression immediately grew more solemn.

He clenched his large hand, and the jade tablet shattered: "Junior truly does not know! Perhaps it would be better for Senior Tree God to discuss this with you personally, Senior!"

Before his words finished, a green stream of light flew out from the shattered jade tablet, and the Tree God's illusory figure appeared out of thin air.

"Hong Ning, you are indeed still alive!" The moment the Tree God appeared, he looked at the white-haired woman in the center of the altar, his expression quite complex: "You..."

"Shut up! Chai Tou (Wood Head/Stubborn Head)!" Upon seeing the Tree God appear, the woman's emotions immediately fluctuated. Before he could finish speaking, she roared fiercely.

At the same time, an extremely terrifying Concept power crushed down.

This was a Concept of desperate stillness. Xiao Zhuo felt that his many Perfection Concepts were insignificant before this Concept.

He couldn't help but frown deeply.

Since entering the Myriad Ages Evergreen Realm, many things had truly opened his eyes.

This woman had already made him understand that the so-called Perfection Concept was merely barely stepping through the threshold of Concept.

The power of Concept was by no means just some enhancement to Moves; it could even be used for direct combat, as this woman demonstrated.

Xiao Zhuo had no doubt that this woman could easily crush a Tribulation Stage Cultivator with just her Concept. How incredibly powerful was that?

Just as Xiao Zhuo was still shocked by the woman's powerful Concept, she continued: "According to our agreement, I can give you the Transformation Tree Seed, but you must also help me escape!"

As she spoke, her gaze swept from the Tree God and finally landed on Xiao Zhuo: "But a mere Mahayana Body Cultivator is far from enough to help me escape!"

The Tree God sighed upon hearing this, opened his mouth, but ultimately did not speak his true thoughts. Instead, he said: "I will uphold our agreement."

He then looked at Xiao Zhuo: "Little friend! Soon, this wisp of my Origin will collapse. The Restrictions in this city were all left behind by the Evergreen True Immortal..."

But just as he was halfway through his sentence, the woman erupted in fury: "Chai Tou (Wood Head/Stubborn Head)! How dare you call the Master by his name!"

Immediately, she unhesitatingly mobilized her ruthless Concept and pressed down with overwhelming force.

The Tree God's expression changed dramatically: "Hong Ning! You..."

"Pfft!"

Although the Tree God's will was not weak, it was ultimately just a wisp of his Divine Soul. Under Hong Ning's crushing Concept, it instantly Shattered Realm (Cultivation Class), without even having time to finish his words!

Xiao Zhuo was completely dumbfounded!

What is going on? My goodness! Aren't you two old acquaintances? Are you really that volatile?

The key is, you killed him! How am I supposed to know how to save you!?

The Seal array in this ancient city was clearly the work of a True Immortal. Xiao Zhuo had looked at it for a long time without discerning any clues.