"Roar!"
The moment Ji Buwang’s palm landed, Xu Yi vaguely heard an angry roar.
Xu Yi’s eyes flashed with the statue she saw in the royal city back then.
It was the roar of the Beast King.
Xu Yi narrowed her eyes. She was curious if this tree would remain harmless when faced with their attack, as it had before.
Ji Buwang followed with his third and fourth palms. The cracks on the tree grew, and its trunk emitted cracking sounds as if it could no longer bear the strain.
But nothing unusual happened.
Seeing the Beast King Tree being destroyed, palm by palm, the people of the Li tribe turned pale, as if their spirits had been instantly drained.
The Beast King Tree had long been an inseparable part of the Li tribe, and Ji Buwang’s actions were like digging flesh from their hearts.
"Shaman."
"Shaman!"
Plea after plea rose from the crowd.
Some closed their eyes in pain, unable to watch any further.
"Let's go." The shaman cast a deep glance at the Beast King Tree and turned to walk back.
The matter was settled; their staying there would be of no help. It was better to leave.
The shaman was the pillar of the Li tribe.
As she walked away, the other members of the Li tribe, no matter how reluctant, gritted their teeth and followed.
Before they left, they all knelt and performed a kowtow towards the Beast King Tree, then departed with heavy hearts.
Guan Li watched their retreating figures, a smile playing on his lips, yet a faint sorrow filled his heart for reasons unknown.
*Boom!*
A loud roar interrupted Guan Li’s reverie. He turned around just in time to see the Beast King Tree collapse.
The tree just fell like that?
Guan Li’s gaze fell on Ji Buwang.
The latter’s face was not flushed, nor was he out of breath. He showed no sign of exhaustion and appeared to be doing it effortlessly.
Guan Li finally understood why his ancestor had chosen to follow the Four Symbols Immortal.
Mighty strength was always captivating.
His wavering heart became firm once more.
All faith was an illusion.
He wanted to cultivate immortality!
No one paid attention to Guan Li’s thoughts. Xu Yi and Ji Buwang were intently examining the break of the Beast King Tree.
The dark red cross-section was uneven. Apart from the color, it looked no different from any other severed tree trunk, lacking the difference Xu Yi had expected.
Just as Xu Yi was contemplating whether to uproot the entire tree, a faint strand of almost imperceptible light red smoke curled upwards.
Before Xu Yi could react, her vision blurred, and the surrounding environment suddenly changed.
Ji Buwang, Guan Li, and the broken Beast King Tree had all vanished. She found herself in a patch of overgrown wasteland.
Xu Yi looked down at her hands in astonishment. They were well-defined, broad, and rough.
These were not her hands.
She looked further down: a faded daoist robe, light-colored trim, and dust-covered short boots.
The more she looked, the more familiar it became.
Could this be…
To confirm her guess, Xu Yi reached into the wide sleeve and felt a smooth cloth pouch – a storage bag.
She had become Senior Four Symbols.
It must have been the tree that did this.
Senior Four Symbols was already dead. She must now be trapped in an illusion. If her prediction was correct, she would soon face the same fate as Senior Four Symbols and be devoured by the Beast King Tree.
Xu Yi shivered recalling the scene described by the shaman of the Li tribe.
On this continent where only physical strength and shamanic power existed, Xu Yi had no confidence in resisting the Beast King.
Her only hope was that the Beast King had already left, leaving behind only its will to protect this continent.
Xu Yi knew that at such a moment, it was crucial not to panic. She suppressed her inner restlessness, sat down cross-legged, and waited for the change to come.
Several hours later, Xu Yi suddenly jumped up from the ground, her eyes fixed on the earth beneath her.
It was coming.
*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!*
One slender branch after another broke through the soil, reaching out wildly towards Xu Yi.
Xu Yi roughly counted and realized that there were over a hundred branches.
There might be even more branches hidden underground.
Retreat?
Xu Yi’s eyes flashed. Instead of retreating, she advanced, her figure disappearing into the flying branches.
*Swish swish swish—*
The vines, like living creatures, instantly enveloped Xu Yi’s entire body and then tightened their grip.
"Hmph."
A muffled grunt was heard from within the densely packed, impenetrable branches.
Trapped within, Xu Yi felt the oppressive force from her body and finally understood how Senior Four Symbols had been devoured by the tree.
Having found her answer, Xu Yi began to struggle.
Her physical body had not only been tempered by spiritual energy but also cleansed by Buddhist power, making her strength comparable to a body cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage. One punch could cause mountains to collapse.
Although these branches could cooperate to generate a force far greater than their individual strength, they could not subdue Xu Yi.
She exerted force with her arms and pushed outwards.
*Bang bang bang!*
The branches broke one by one.
Light reappeared before Xu Yi’s eyes.
"Roar!"
Another roar sounded.
The remaining branches frantically lunged at Xu Yi again.
The entire wasteland transformed into an ocean of branches, densely intertwined.
Xu Yi tightened her lips, grabbed the vines with her hands, and tore them apart with decisive movements.
She struggled with the branches for a full day and night.
The broken branches had piled up into a mountain at her feet.
Xu Yi stood above the mountain peak, looking down at the listless, swaying branches, her eyes seeming to twinkle with starlight.
"Beast King, my companion and I accidentally drifted here. We have no intention of opposing you. We only wish to leave. Please lend us a hand."
Xu Yi shouted upwards.
She knew that the Beast King’s will could understand her words.
The reason she had remained silent earlier was to let the Beast King’s will know that she was not someone to be trifled with, only then could it feel apprehension.
She had no intention of spreading the art of immortal cultivation in the Beast King Continent. She only wanted to return, back to her homeland.
After she finished speaking, the trembling branches slowed their swaying, as if contemplating the truth of Xu Yi’s words.
Seizing the opportunity, Xu Yi reiterated her sincerity.
After an unknown period, the scene before Xu Yi suddenly froze, the vibrant colors faded, and a black void formed before her.
The familiar spiritual energy within the void almost made her tear up.
It was the Nine Provinces Continent.
Behind this black hole was the Nine Provinces Continent.
She could finally go home.
But Xu Yi did not move immediately.
"Beast King, I have two more friends…"
Since Xu Yi had promised Guan Li, she would not go back on her word.
"Roar!"
Accompanied by a beast’s roar, a figure suddenly appeared beside her.
Ji Buwang’s eyes still held a trace of confusion. Upon seeing Xu Yi and the black hole, a flicker of joy quickly crossed his eyes.
Xu Yi had succeeded. She had found the exit.
"Beast King, there is still on—"
Seeing Ji Buwang, Xu Yi’s lips unconsciously curled upwards. Just as she was about to say more, a great force, devoid of malice, directly struck her lower back, forcing her forward a few steps.
She and Ji Buwang vanished into the black hole in an instant.
After their figures completely disappeared, the black hole slowly closed.
Everything returned to its original state.