Yantai.
The Moon Moth Phoenix slowly retracted its serene lunar radiance, the aura of a monarch restrained and measured.
Just as the local forces under Nie Lengshan hurried to coordinate the hunters and mages, Yan Shi encountered another surprise.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Strands of reddish-brown calamity flames surged upward from Lu Mei's body.
A being engulfed in flowing brown flames stepped forward, its body formed of solidified magma, glowing red yet maintaining graceful, swaying curves, elegant and supple, like a goddess of fire.
It was unmistakably Jiang Feng. Her calamity flames roared skyward, illuminating half the heavens, as brilliant as a blazing sunset, accompanied by an immense, surging power that radiated outward.
Even while Lu Jun and Yan Shi were talking, Jiang Feng's spirit could not remain calm. Murmuring within the space Lu Mei had carved, she hesitated, worried her mother might not recognize her or might reject her.
Finally, under Lu Mei's gentle reassurance, she emerged, her delicate face marked with crimson magical runes shedding two lines of fiery tears. She opened her mouth but could not speak human words, only the murmurs of a resentful spirit.
Yan Shi stared in astonishment, scrutinizing the fire witch before her.
Suddenly, she froze. Her withered hands reached toward Jiang Feng's face, tears streaming down, whispering, "Feng'er… is it really you?!"
The two greatest regrets of her life had been, first, betraying the Totem, and second, the death of her daughter.
Jiang Feng could not hold back her tears either, and the two embraced.
"Don't be afraid, it's okay."
"Of course I recognize you. How could a mother not recognize her daughter? Even if you had turned to ashes, I would still know."
"It's alright. A mother doesn't mind her daughter's appearance."
Jiang Feng wept and murmured softly, yet Yan Shi understood every word, as if language were unnecessary, her daughter's every gesture conveyed meaning, and she continuously soothed her.
After a moment, Yan Shi grasped the full story, her expression complex yet relieved. "You've become… a demon… an elemental spirit of resentment? You're an extraordinary being now. It's okay… as long as you're alive."
She then turned to Lu Jun and Lu Mei, took a deep breath, and sincerely thanked them. "Thank you for your help. Whether it's the Moon Moth Phoenix or Feng'er… I truly…"
Her voice choked, emotions too complex to describe.
No one expected that, at the twilight of her life, all her past regrets could be reconciled.
For a moment, Yan Shi no longer wished to die. Seeing her daughter alive, seeing the Moon Moth Phoenix about to reincarnate into the next cycle, her spirit was renewed.
She resolved to protect her daughter, now an extraordinary being, to guard the Totem, and even to repay Lu Jun.
Yan Shi felt like an old tree sprouting new buds. Her mind settled, and though she had aged, her spirit lifted, she could live another five or six years at least.
Lu Jun watched the touching reunion between mother and daughter, moved.
Their conversation aside, Nie Lengshan had finished gathering all the mages, several thousand in total, each of mid-tier level or higher.
The Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree formed a self-contained ecological microcosm, harboring numerous demon tribes, primarily the Demon Sparrows and Mountain Folk.
The former built nests on branches, dominating the void, while the latter resembled humans in form, occupying the land.
Fortunately, the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree abhorred equal-tier monarchs, so these two tribes had no monarchs. Yet their combat strength remained formidable. Any single Mountain Folk or Demon Sparrow could reach Warrior-level cultivation, and the tribes numbered at least twenty to thirty thousand in total.
If Lu Jun and his companions were to engage directly, it would consume immense magical energy, necessitating the hunters' involvement.
Of course, the hunters would not enter the Tree's core. They would station on the surrounding mountains to intercept any demons attempting to break out.
With the plan set, Lu Jun and the others wasted no time, heading straight for the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Lu Jun held a translucent teal-black Totem Orb in his hand, releasing the Totem Mystic Snake.
Immediately, boundless teal mist surged forth, rolling across the land like a tidal wave, in layers, blanketing hundreds of miles in an instant, engulfing majestic mountains and the vast forest.
Howling winds tore through thick clouds, as if the world itself were ending, accompanied by a terrifying, supreme aura that rose menacingly.
In the depths of the mist, two massive sun-like eyes appeared first, striking fear into all who saw them. Then the colossal, mountain-sized outline of the snake emerged, encircling the peaks like a spontaneously formed Great Wall.
A towering Mystic Snake stood beneath the sky, its immense body reaching the clouds. Its massive head hovered above the canopy. No one could see its full form, only the portion beneath the clouds was visible.
The city of Yantai lay under the shadow of the towering serpent. Citizens trembled, and hunter-mages panicked.
This giant beast seemed even more terrifying than the recently appeared silver Butterfly Phoenix.
Soon, some calm observers recognized the teal-black serpent as the Mystic Black Snake Totem from Hangzhou, the last remaining Totem in Nine Continents.
"Strange, how did it come here?"
Soon after, Nie Lengshan announced a message that spread throughout the city, sending a wave of mental shock through everyone.
"What?! The Demon Crown Leaf is a deception? The Purple Linden Forest Sea is essentially just a root branch of a single Purple Linden Tree, its main trunk towering alongside the heavens, hence called the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree."
"It lures beings with the Demon Crown Leaf, gathering them here, only for them to perish and be devoured by this demonic tree?!"
The hunters were aghast. No wonder the authorities intervened to prevent them from entering the forest, though some still harbored doubts.
As for Mo Fan and the others, they sighed. "No wonder."
They trusted Lu Jun, believing his words, though Mo Fan felt slightly frustrated—besides missing the chance to earn money, he could not even participate in the battle at this level.
Roar!
The Mystic Snake raised its head and let out a deep, resonant howl that echoed across the heavens and beyond.
The Moon Moth Phoenix unleashed the might of a Great Monarch, hovering in the sky like a brilliant silver moon, radiating immense pressure. Meanwhile, Lu Mei and Jiang Feng fused, forming a solitary Flame Goddess of unparalleled pride, standing amid a raging sea of fire, as scorching as the midday sun.
The two occupied opposite halves of the sky, like the sun and moon appearing together.
Then, Lu Jun's eyes radiated transcendental force. From his abdomen, the Nether Qi Sea blossomed, every gesture summoning wind and rain. Dark clouds surged, gathering torrential rain that coalesced into a flowing robe of mysterious energy. Behind him, the dual forces of Life and Death circulated, faintly forming the pattern of the Taiji symbol.
Yan Shi erupted as well, exuding stern killing intent. Her withered frame bloomed with magnificent brilliance, three distinct elemental auras converging like an unforeseen cataclysmic storm upon the area—Earth Element, Fire Element, Wind Element!
The three elements reached their extreme density, as if a single thought could unleash world-shaking magic.
At this moment, Yan Shi's every movement displayed the colossal control of a Super-tier Mage. Her magic had completely broken free of tracks, diagrams, altars, or temples. Red, cyan, and yellow auroras stretched endlessly, evolving into floating mountains, towering hurricanes, and blazing infernos across the landscape.
They had issued a declaration of war to the rulers within the mountains!
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