Chapter 1 The Trees

Trees like tides merged into a maw, the entire sky above transforming into a massive Venus flytrap, rapidly closing with jagged teeth.

But at this moment, Su Zhou was not alarmed in the slightest.

Although the results of the previous two exchanges were that he was sent flying and injured, he had also clearly seen the flow of spiritual energy within the Demon Emperor's dragon body. Su Zhou could confirm that the Demon Emperor's transformation into a dragon was not yet complete. Within that massive Panlong (coiled dragon) body, there was still a humanoid core. It was this core that was entangled with the roots generated by the Heavenly Palace, merging into the dragon body that was now half-rooted within the Heavenly Palace.

If the Demon Emperor successfully completed his transformation into a dragon, then this Panlong would break free from the Heavenly Palace and no longer need to rely on the power of the Heavenly Palace and the divine tree!

"If I can destroy the jade pillar formed from the divine tree's treetop, the Demon Emperor will withdraw from his dragon form—but how can I destroy it? The Miedu Zhi Ren (Blade of Annihilation) is still too small compared to the dragon; I can't possibly bypass the Panlong's attack range and get close to the jade pillar."

There was little time to think. The twisted tide of wood crashed down like a tsunami. Su Zhou took a deep breath, pressed down with his legs, and then, like a locust, leaped up!

Whoosh! The rapid sound of the wind. In an instant, Su Zhou jumped into the air. With the amplification of spiritual energy, the power of the wind helped him to leap to a height of two hundred meters in a single breath, not only avoiding the attack but also reaching a height exceeding the Demon Emperor's expectations. At the instant the Demon Emperor lost sight of him, Su Zhou silently wielded the divine blade with both hands, aiming at the jade pillar from mid-air, and slashed out a blazing fire blade!

"Don't even think about it!"

Although he didn't notice Su Zhou at first, the Demon Emperor still detected the sudden attack in time. Without a doubt, protecting the jade pillar on the altar was the most important thing. It roared and spat out a stream of green wood Qi, like a beam of light, directly annihilating the fire blade released by the Miedu Zhi Ren, without continuing to pursue.

But it wasn't until the fire blade was submerged by the wood Qi like a bubble that the Demon Emperor realized that this fire blade was just a feint, merely a seemingly splendid illusion!

"One strike to decide victory!"

At this moment, Su Zhou was already accelerating in mid-air with spiritual energy, his entire being transforming into a phantom, rapidly charging toward the Panlong. Streams of red-gold light were bursting forward along the blade of the Miedu Zhi Ren, illuminating the increasingly towering dark clouds below in a crimson glow.

Su Zhou raised the divine blade, which had been activated to the limit he could activate, and roared, "Demon Emperor, take this!"

"Interesting!"

This time, the Demon Emperor felt it. This was indeed Su Zhou's full-power strike, condensed with himself and the Miedu Zhi Ren! From it, it sensed a will to either succeed or die trying. It laughed loudly and said, "Is this the pride of the dragonborn? To face this Emperor head-on?!"

"Then, as you wish!"

Boom! Vast green wood Qi condensed. The Demon Emperor raised its third claw high, and boundless spiritual energy bred within it. The Jia wood Qi swept across the top of the sky like a raging tide, washing away all the dust from this cloud-top Heavenly Palace.

On the other side, endless light and heat condensed in the golden-red blade, even igniting the scattered dust and wood chips in the air, turning them into a fiery rainstorm, stirring up bursts of black smoke. Wherever the divine blade passed, the air distorted, and heat flowed everywhere!

The Demon Emperor undoubtedly believed that it would win. It had already reached the Xiantian (Acquired) realm, and the vastness of its spiritual energy alone was far beyond what Su Zhou could compare with. Although this Grandmaster's spiritual energy was also surprisingly abundant, no matter how gifted he was, he could never compare with it, supported by the divine tree!

Therefore, the Demon Emperor confidently pressed down on Su Zhou with its claw.

Then, it was shocked to see Su Zhou laugh wildly, directly letting go of the blade, and leaping into the air, dodging its full-strength claw!

"You actually believed it?!"

"Releasing the blade?! Not good, it's the Tianlei Yujian Zhenfa (Sky Thunder Sword Control True Technique)!" Although the Demon Emperor was an emperor and rarely took action personally, he was still clear about his own national teacher's proud technique. After sensing the air starting to crackle with electric currents, it knew that something was wrong, but it was already too late!

"Ningqi Yuwu (Qi Condensation and Object Manipulation)! Tianlei Yujian Zhenfa!"

At this moment, in mid-air, Su Zhou was surrounded by blue-green electric arcs. He used the Grand Artisan's Ningqi Yuwu method to control the direction of the Miedu Zhi Ren, and the national teacher's Tianlei Yujian Zhenfa to accelerate it. Using both methods in conjunction to bless the divine blade, it swung in a semicircle with a power no less than Su Zhou's full-strength strike, carrying a terrifyingly hot hurricane, and firmly chopped onto the green jade pillar!

Boom! With a dull bang brought about by the air being burned out, the jade pillar on the three-layered altar began to burn fiercely! Countless sparks scattered, and cracks like those of broken porcelain began to appear on it, while the red light spread along the cracks!

"Ahhhhh! Lowly commoner!"

In an instant, bone-deep, piercing coldness, and scorching heat that shot straight to the soul leaped up from the Demon Emperor's spine. It shrieked in impotent rage, and then, the massive Panlong body disintegrated with a bang!

More than a dozen wooden tendrils derived from the Heavenly Palace collapsed softly to the ground, while a tall figure with double horns emerged from within, falling to the ground.

Its landing posture was not clumsy, as stable as Su Zhou, who was also slowly descending from mid-air. But at this moment, the Demon Emperor's entire body was trembling with rage, and the already twisted human face became even more distorted: "Decades of hard work, the forging of the Ascending Dragon Pillar has been wasted..."

Rumble!

At this moment, accompanied by a deep rumble of thunder, the cumulonimbus cloud layer, originally located below the Heavenly Palace, bulged and enveloped this messy battlefield within itself.

The originally tranquil battlefield was shrouded in countless moist clouds, and the Demon Emperor's furious figure disappeared at this moment, as if merging into the mist.

And in the rain and mist, gray fog spread again, and a grim voice sounded.

"I will strip away every bit of your flesh and blood!"

Whoosh! Instantly, from all directions, an incomparably dense gray fog, drawing on people's vitality, once again surged in from countless bizarre angles, carrying nearly imperceptible fine wooden whiskers!

Holding the great spear behind him in his hand, Su Zhou sneered, "Idiot!"

Crackle! Leaping electric currents suddenly appeared on Su Zhou's body, and ring-shaped thunder immediately spread out with him as the center—amidst the mist, water molecules electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen, which were then ignited by the high-discharge phenomenon!

Boom! A huge spark directly blasted away all the surrounding gray fog and clouds, and the Demon Emperor's figure also flew out of the gray fog with a miserable howl, the tiny wooden whiskers that were still squirming on his body having been burned off, waving frantically.

The electric current gradually dissipated. Su Zhou, who was standing ready with the great spear, did not pursue but instead swayed slightly. The empty spiritual energy in his body caused him to reveal an uncontrollable look of fatigue. But even so, Su Zhou still gritted his teeth and, while the 'Tianren Xunhuan' (Heaven-Man Cycle) was restoring his spiritual energy, mockingly taunted, "You're so weak, Demon Emperor. Although your strength is at the Xiantian level, your combat awareness is completely third-rate!"

"No wonder the national teacher looks down on you, calling you a 'short-sighted' guy."

On the other side, although looking disheveled, the Demon Emperor, who actually still had abundant spiritual energy in his body, slowly stood up. The various scorched areas on his body rapidly self-healed and peeled off, revealing a brand new body.

Facing Su Zhou's taunt, the emperor did not immediately retort angrily but instead remained silent for a moment.

"Heh, so what? I am the emperor, and he is the national teacher. But I have to admit, little dragon, you are indeed very strong, worthy of being the troublesome figure who could kill my national teacher."

At this moment, all the rage on the Demon Emperor's face had dissipated. His body no longer trembled because of his agitated mood but calmed down: "That's right, if you weren't this strong, how would those three old fogeys dare to send you to kill me? After advancing to the Xiantian stage, I was indeed a bit too arrogant."

Once again, the clouds enveloped the battlefield. The Demon Emperor took a deep breath, then exhaled. He moved his muscles and bones and, in the looming clouds, struck a strange pose, calmly saying, "But now, without the Miedu Zhi Ren, you still want to kill me?"

"With that Jing Shui Zhi Wu (Pure Water Centipede) spear that can't even harm me?"

Only now did it reveal a trace of a Grandmaster's, or rather, a Xiantian martial saint's, aura.

Hearing this, sensing the opponent's seriousness, Su Zhou, whose Tianren Xunhuan had recovered some spiritual energy, smiled, and he simply inserted the spear into the Heavenly Palace ground, causing the scarlet demon poison to spread.

Crack crack, he cracked his fingers, gazing at the Demon Emperor, who was striking a strange martial pose, and calmly said, "Of course not."

"I'll beat you until you're crying and calling for your mommy with my bare hands."

Boom! With a burst of sound, wood chips flew everywhere. Almost simultaneously, the two simultaneously exerted force under their feet and closed in, engaging in close-quarters fist fighting in the thin air of the high altitude!