In the silent city, Ye Yun and his eight companions swiftly weaved through the towering buildings. Even on the ground, their speed as deities was astonishing, with the surrounding scenery blurring past. Ye Yun’s gaze constantly swept over their surroundings. Though it appeared calm, an inexplicable sense of danger gnawed at him, keeping him on high alert. This premonition proved to be correct as the scenery gradually deteriorated…
As they approached the blue beam of light, the once bustling skyscrapers began to crumble at an alarming rate. It was like a post-apocalyptic city, covered in verdant moss and rampant vegetation piercing through the reinforced concrete. Deeper in, the surroundings no longer resembled a city, but a veritable jungle of a ruined world! Ye Yun marveled internally, thinking that such sights would have once been relegated to disaster movies.
Lost in thought, he suddenly sensed something and his relaxed brow furrowed. He immediately warned the others, "Be careful, something's coming!" His words were almost simultaneous with those of another Heavenly God-level expert in their group. The team’s speed instantly reduced, and they instinctively adopted defensive postures. Just then, chaos erupted!
From an unknown source, several brownish-yellow figures lunged at them with incredible speed. "Enemies nearby!" Ye Yun frowned, his Dragon God Sword already igniting with fierce True Flame Divine Fire. In a flash, the blade descended. With a thunderous impact, as the attack met his defense, Ye Yun finally got a clear look at their assailants.
The creature attacking him was a treant, formed entirely from plant matter. It possessed a human-like head, but its features were abstract. In its hands, it wielded a wooden long saber, surprisingly resilient. "Such power, this must be Star God level." Ye Yun was astonished by the creature's performance. Even its wooden weapon, after clashing with his sword, didn't immediately shatter. It was only when touched by the True Flame Divine Fire that it rapidly combusted.
Ye Yun retaliated, his blazing flames becoming his sword, striking the treant and instantly turning it into a small, burning figure. Another swift strike annihilated the creature. Despite possessing Star God-level strength, speed, and a weapon comparable to a divine artifact, it lacked divine authority and significant intelligence, making it little different from a puppet. Its combat effectiveness was far inferior to any normal Star God.
However, the problem was that while individual treants weren't overwhelmingly strong, their numbers were constantly increasing! Looking at the others, aside from the Heavenly God-level expert who could dispatch these creatures with ease, Xiao Meng and Xiao Ai could only barely fend them off. The other Star Gods, including Qian Ling, were only holding their own. Meanwhile, the surge of treants continued to grow.
"Everyone, stick together, don't get isolated!" Qian Ling, remaining relatively calm, saw the ever-increasing number of treants and yelled, "Huddle up!" In a situation where their individual strengths were already comparable, being picked off one by one would be fatal! The group huddled together, each relying on the person behind them for full defensive coverage.
"What kind of monsters are these!"
"They're endless, where are they all coming from?"
"Yeah, and they're so strong…"
Battling, someone in the group couldn't help but vent their frustration. In truth, Qian Ling herself was perplexed by these bizarre treants, unsure how to effectively counter them. Just then, Ye Yun spoke up, "We can't keep this up. If more come, we'll eventually be worn down!" They were pinned down, unable to advance. The treants attacking from afar showed no signs of diminishing, only increasing!
Qian Ling knew this, and she frowned, "I know, but how do we break through such a horde?" Even the strongest Heavenly God in their group would find it challenging to handle them when outnumbered. Especially since these treants seemed impervious to pain, relentlessly attacking as long as they could move.
Ye Yun pondered for a moment, then looked at the Heavenly God-level expert beside him. "I have an idea, but I'll need your cooperation." The expert looked surprised, then glanced at Qian Ling. She immediately agreed, "No problem, just cooperate with Star Lord Ye."
"Understood." The Heavenly God nodded, then turned to Ye Yun. "Star Lord Ye, what do you need me to do?" Ye Yun's lips curved into a slight smile, and he conjured a ball of True Flame Divine Fire in his palm. "It's simple, we burn them!"
He then explained his plan, which was undeniably direct and brutal. Upon hearing it, Qian Ling’s eyes lit up. "Brilliant! Let's do it your way!" While simple, if it could resolve their crisis, the simpler the better!
A minute later, a rather crude spectacle unfolded in the ruined city. Ye Yun and the other Heavenly God-level expert charged at the forefront, with the others following like chicks under a hawk's protection, focusing on defense. Ye Yun, at the front, fully unleashed his True Flame Divine Fire, enveloping everyone in a massive fireball. Any treant that got too close was instantly engulfed in the flames, burning to ashes within moments. As they retaliated, the Heavenly God-level expert would seize the opportunity, sending them flying hundreds of meters away. By the time they regrouped, they were mostly consumed.
Thus, their group moved like a fiery train, continuously 'plowing through' the attacking treants! "Your flames are truly formidable..." Qian Ling exclaimed in awe, watching the treants turn to ash. For them, even a touch of Ye Yun's flames would ignite a fervent blaze, reducing their entire bodies to dust!
With remarkable ease, they reached their destination, the area within the blue beam of light. Here, Ye Yun finally understood the source of the ceaseless treants. On the fringes of the blue beam, hundreds, even thousands, of towering trees grew, bearing fruit that continuously matured and fell. Each fruit then became a fresh treant, setting off to find its enemies!
Amusingly, as they entered the blue beam, the treants seemed to be repelled, abandoning their pursuit. "It seems they can't enter this place." Ye Yun exhaled, looking back at the scene, his True Flame Divine Fire dissipating. Despite merely manipulating the flames, the True Flame Divine Fire consumed a great deal, and constantly projecting it had left him feeling drained.
"Ah, we're finally safe…" Xiao Ai collapsed onto Ye Yun, exhausted. Not just her; the others were also depleted. Ye Yun and the Heavenly God-level expert had only dealt with the initial wave of enemies. The subsequent horde had been held back by their combined defense.
However, now was not the time for rest. Qian Ling’s gaze fixed on the center of the blue beam. There stood a truly colossal tree, dwarfing even the hundred-meter-tall giants nearby; they seemed like mere saplings in comparison. This super-giant tree had been visible from afar, but up close, its oppressive aura was even more profound.