224: Chapter 224 Mind Control, Sword Heart

Watching the Millennium Tree Demon BOSS's HP drop from 210 to 100 in just 10 seconds, Xiao Niao felt incredibly exhilarated. At this rate, killing the Millennium Tree Demon would be a matter of moments!

However, to his great disappointment, the moment the 10 seconds were up, the ball of fire Burning on the Millennium Tree Demon's trunk 'poofed' out. As a wisp of black smoke rose, it left only a charred, burn mark on the trunk, and the -10 Burning damage stopped appearing.

It turned out the duration of the Burning effect had ended.

Meanwhile, the Millennium Tree Demon's HP regeneration, which had been suppressed by the Burning status, returned to normal once the status vanished. Its HP began to climb rapidly, and as Xiao Niao watched, his heart felt like it was on a rollercoaster—just reaching the peak before plummeting to the bottom. The huge contrast made him feel extremely awful.

To make matters worse, just at this moment, Xiao Niao noticed that the Millennium Tree Demon not only had its HP regeneration speed return to normal, but it had also silently parted its dense branches and leaves to reveal the dark red eyes hidden within its crown. This was... it was about to use that skill similar to Mind Control again!

Xiao Niao frowned, sensing something was wrong. Although his mana hadn't recovered much—barely enough to cast a single 'Recovery Spell'—even if he were targeted again by the Millennium Tree Demon's Mind Control, it wouldn't be a big deal. However, this time, the Millennium Tree Demon didn't seem to be aiming at him. Instead, after spreading all the branches and leaves on its trunk and revealing those eerie dark red eyes, it glanced disdainfully at Xiao Niao in a very human-like manner before casting its gaze downward. Beneath the Millennium Tree Demon's body were Hu Gualing, Tang Yao, and the Sharp-toothed Piglet. This meant the Millennium Tree Demon's target this time would be chosen from among the three of them.

Setting aside the Sharp-toothed Piglet for a moment, regardless of whether Hu Gualing or Tang Yao—the main damage dealers right now—became the target of the Millennium Tree Demon's Mind Control, it would be extremely detrimental to the outcome of the battle. Although neither of them had buff skills to cast on the BOSS, they were positioned quite close together as melee attackers. Whoever was controlled by the BOSS could launch an attack on the other before they had time to react. At that point, two people's worth of damage output would be lost instantly. Even if no one cast healing skills on the Millennium Tree Demon, with its own recovery ability, it could quickly restore its HP, and then there would be absolutely no hope of defeating it.

Thinking of this, Xiao Niao was Burning with anxiety, yet he had no way to change the situation that was about to unfold!

Just then, the Millennium Tree Demon BOSS's eerie dark red gaze fixed in place. Judging by the direction of its sight, it had locked onto Tang Yao. "Tang Yao, watch out!" Xiao Niao had barely managed to shout half of his warning, and before he could blurt out the second half, 'Mind Control', he saw Tang Yao's eyelids droop slightly, and her entire Aura shifted. Although neither the outfit she was wearing nor the long sword in her hand had changed at all, the style she projected suddenly became completely different.

This Aura, appearing from nowhere, combined with the flowing white dress Tang Yao wore and the slender, silvery-white steel sword in her hand, suddenly gave her the air of a female martial artist from an ancient period.

What surprised Xiao Niao even more was that this sudden shift in Tang Yao's temperament didn't seem to be just superficial. After being targeted by the Millennium Tree Demon's gaze, her mental state showed no signs of distraction. The long sword in her hand didn't slash toward Hu Gualing as Xiao Niao had expected; instead, she slashed toward the Millennium Tree Demon without being affected in the slightest. It was as if she hadn't been influenced at all. Could it be... that the Millennium Tree Demon's Mind Control skill had failed this time? No, that couldn't be right. A BOSS's trump card skill wouldn't just fail. It must be that Tang Yao had resisted it using some method.

That's it! Didn't Tang Yao comprehend a 'Sword Heart' skill? Using it allows one to enter a state of focused, undivided attention. And the Mind Control skill the Millennium Tree Demon uses seems to target the mind. So, it must be that Tang Yao used the 'Sword Heart' skill to strengthen her mind, and that's how she resisted the Millennium Tree Demon's Mind Control?

Xiao Niao quickly figured out the connection, nodding slowly in both realization and relief. 'It seems we really are lucky. Although Tang Yao using the 'Sword Heart' skill might not necessarily have any effect on the protective shield surrounding the Millennium Tree Demon's body, being able to render the Millennium Tree Demon's Mind Control skill ineffective means there's still a glimmer of hope for this battle, even if that hope is extremely slim...'