"Roar—Weng Weng Weng!!"
A heaven-shaking screech erupted from the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Divine Tree, carrying the sorrow, resentment, and unwillingness of its fall. It unleashed a terrifying sonic storm that swept in all directions, across the scorched valley turned to wasteland, across the towering mountain peaks, across the city of Yantai.
Everyone felt their souls tremble as they looked toward the depths of Mount Kunyu in panic, thinking, "Is that demon tree about to die?!"
During the earlier battle between Supreme Monarch, nearby cities and even the entire province had felt waves of violent magical tides crashing in. They had been terrified, assuming it would take a prolonged struggle to eliminate the evil tree, with devastation spreading across a thousand miles.
Yet Lu Jun and the others had resolved it in barely one or two hours.
Mo Fan stood at the edge of Mount Kunyu and let out a long breath. Recalling the scene of gazing at the heavens earlier, like towering gods and demons locked in a bloody battle, he felt as though he had glimpsed an ancient era when deities severed the World Tree.
He could not help but smile bitterly. "Is the gap really this huge? I probably couldn't even withstand the aftershocks of their battle."
The Supreme Monarch Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree was dead, completely fallen!
The five main root-pillars that embodied its life essence had all been destroyed, respectively by the Totem Black Snake, Yan Shi, Lu Jun, Lu Mei, and the Moon Moth Phoenix. The process had been arduous; plant-type demon rulers possessed terrifying vitality.
In this battle, Lu Jun's magical energy surged violently as he exerted nearly his full strength. First, he used the Transcendent Power North Sea Qi Sea to condense dozens of drops of North Sea Heavy Water, dissolving the main trunk's defenses. Then he combined the Nether Gaze and the Fantasy Pupil for a devastating strike.
Finally, he drew the Tai'a Sword and unleashed its supreme edge, utilizing a trace of Metal Element calamity properties to sever its vitality completely.
Thus, the first broken main trunk of the Heaven Crown Tree was the most devastated, like a toppled dark-cyan mountain range, its surface riddled with pits of black decay, pierced by several hollow void-like holes. At its smooth cross-section remained a lingering thread of platinum sharpness.
Lu Mei, meanwhile, activated her Heaven Seed flame, the ultimate bane of plants—and incinerated the second trunk with endless brown calamity fire, leaving behind a pitch-black carbonized mountain ridge. Handling it was actually easier for her than for her brother.
The remaining three main trunks of the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree were even easier to deal with.
The Moon Moth Phoenix, as a Great Monarch, spread its wings and released cascades of serene moonlight, transforming into countless lunar rays that shredded one trunk into fragments. The Black Snake manifested its worldly python form, coiling tightly around another trunk, corroding and constricting until its massive jaws snapped it apart.
As for Yan Shi, there was little to say. Her fusion of Earth, Fire, and Wind formed a turbid Chaos aura that obliterated the final trunk inch by inch, reducing it to a thick layer of ash carpeting the valley floor.
"Phew, it's finally cut down."
Sensing the disappearance of the vast life aura of the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree,once as immense as a forest-world—Lu Jun slowly exhaled in relief.
The once picturesque valley, like a paradise on earth, had become scorched wasteland. Everywhere lay broken trunks and severed roots in chaotic ruin. Turbulent magical remnants raged wildly. A massive hole gaped in the sky above, with black elemental void imprints lingering in the muddied heavens.
Buzz—buzz—buzz!
Within the Kunyu Mountain range, strands of crimson radiance rose from the enormous remains of the Heaven Crown Tree, forming a blood mist that gathered in the air.
Lu Jun raised his sword. The spirit of Tai'a trembled in delight, greedily absorbing the power. Two layers of radiant bloodlight covered its surface.
One layer came from the old body of the Harpy Medusa it had slain before, corresponding to the Sword Sacrifice effect of a Monarch level. The newly condensed layer came from the source of the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree just destroyed, corresponding to the Sword Sacrifice effect of a Supreme Monarch level.
Seeing this, Lu Jun's gaze deepened. Plant-type demon Monarch possessed many strange survival methods. The reason he was certain the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree was truly dead was because the Metal Element Tai Bai Xin Jin's Sword Sacrifice effect had taken hold.
Only by completely slaying a powerful enemy could the divine weapon be tempered through sacrifice!
Now, the Tai'a Sword's Sword Sacrifice effect had reached two layers, granting double amplification. Normally, that meant triple power. Combined with the Divine Seal and the White Tiger Totem Artifact's base amplification, it equaled a 13.5-fold increase in power.
Compared to before, it was another substantial leap.
Lu Jun nodded in satisfaction, still feeling somewhat unreal. A peerless Supreme Monarch demon had died just like that.
Uh… this should count as the second Supreme Monarch he had slain with his own hands, right?
He shook his head and set the thought aside, lowering his gaze to the ruined valley below. After being baptized by the Tai'a Sword, a vast portion of the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree's life force had been extracted from its enormous remains. Hundreds of plants withered, and thousands of trees shriveled dry.
Lu Jun let out a breath of relief. The corpse of a Supreme Monarch was extremely valuable, but for a colossal plant demon like the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree, he truly had no idea how to handle it. Its countless fragmented roots and trunks were difficult to transport, and even if sold, their value would be hard to assess.
The current method of processing it was best. It could not be considered a loss. The remainder could stay in Mount Kunyu, allowing the citizens of City to excavate it gradually, potentially forming an entire industrial chain around it.
Just as the Tai'a Sword finished absorbing the mysterious aura, the ruined valley trembled once more.
Rumble!!!
This time, it was Lu Jun's White Tiger Pendant drawing forth the vast essence soul from the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree. The entire region was suddenly immersed in a dazzling spectacle. Countless strands of deep-blue essence rose into the sky, dyeing the heavens in a mysterious, shadowy blue.
The people of Yantai felt dazed, as if they had fallen into the Netherworld. Across the mountains and plains burned a ghostly blue sea of flames.
In the end, the boundless deep-blue essence converged, forming the phantom of a towering divine tree reflected against the sky, as though the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree had been reborn.
Yet no matter how grand the spectacle, it was ultimately lifeless and could not break free from the devouring pull of the White Tiger Pendant.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
The platinum pendant hanging on Lu Jun's chest shone brilliantly and trembled violently, as if exhilarated, as it devoured an entire Supreme Monarch–level essence soul.
Moments later, the enormous deep-blue ghostly tree phantom could no longer resist the pull. It rapidly shrank, transforming into a small sapling that sank into the White Tiger Pendant.
In an instant, the pendant's radiance extinguished. It seemed to revert to an inanimate object, dull and gray, more faded than when Lu Jun had first obtained it.
Rather than alarmed, Lu Jun was delighted. He thought to himself, Is the White Tiger Pendant about to evolve?
It made sense. This was a complete Supreme Monarch essence soul, infinitely close to that of an Emperor. A single Monarch-level essence soul had allowed Mo Fan's Little Loach Pendant to transform from a river into a sea, reaching the pinnacle of a Star Ocean Magic Tool.
The White Tiger Pendant had advanced from a mid-tier Nebula Magic Tool to a high-tier Galaxy Magic Tool only after absorbing the lingering will of the Ancient King's armor.
Now that it had devoured an entire Supreme Monarch essence soul, it was absolutely sufficient for it to break through to the Super Tier, becoming a Star Ocean Magic Tool.
"Wonderful. My strength can rise another step."
Lu Jun was overjoyed. Recently, his cultivation had been stuck at a bottleneck. Opportunities to advance into the Super Tier were hard to come by, and the cultivation speed of his four Super Tier elements had been slow. Now, he could once again enjoy a period of rapid growth.
What he had not expected, however, was that the opportunity for the White Tiger Pendant's advancement had not come from uncovering clues about the White Tiger Totem.
Beside him, Yan Shi remained calm. Seeing Lu Jun claim the greatest share of the spoils, she said nothing.
The four main combatants of this battle had followed his lead. It was only natural that he received the majority of the rewards. Moreover, she was grateful to him, for allowing her to resolve her regrets before death.
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