Wu Siyuan rushed straight to the formation disk. He had to guard the rear, or else if they lost their fallback, saving people would be pointless.
At Jian Dan's command, Xiao Yue lashed its tail and took position at Wu Siyuan's other side to guard the disk.
Hu San, sharp as ever, stepped in front of Wu Siyuan to form the first layer of defense.
Lady Di raised her hand, knowing it was her turn to act. With her people, and under Wu Siyuan's signal, she left the formation and hovered behind the group, ready to respond at any moment.
Jian Dan was the last to leave the barrier, but thanks to Cotton Candy, she shot ahead and blinked right to Xiao Yong and Xiao Rong's side. Her sword slashed through the brown vines, then her palm struck the two captives.
The two cocooned cultivators flew free, but before they could escape the demon tree's range, more vines whipped out to snatch back their food. At the same time, countless tendrils lashed at Jian Dan, eager to keep this fresh offering.
She swung her sword in a counterattack, but instead of retreating, she surged forward. Right at the roots, she hacked into the trunk. Vines whipped from all sides, only to be pulled away by Liu Chuan.
"Hurry up!"
"Just hold for three breaths!"
As she answered Liu Chuan, Jian Dan funneled a strand of Xianyuan energy into the Mò Xī Jiàn. One strike split open a face carved in the bark, black-red blood gushing out with a shrill scream and a wave of rancid stench. She immediately sealed her sense of smell, then before the wound could knit shut, she flicked two thunder seeds into it. As the trunk swallowed them up, she shouted, "Cotton Candy, move!"
Cotton Candy wrapped her up and blinked away just as the vines lashed down.
The disciples caught the two captives their Junior Sister had flung over and started tugging them free from the vines.
Jian Mao and Jian Chun paired up, Jian Jing and Jian Xu formed another group, while Kuang Dao roved between them, slashing down sneak attacks to keep both pairs safe.
Each pair worked seamlessly, one hacking vines apart while the other dragged the bound Purple Sky Sect cultivator back toward safety.
Jian Dan reappeared beyond the blast radius of the thunder seeds. She freed three more in one sweep. Liu Chuan dragged them all at once, racing after the two groups.
A deafening boom shook the air. The demon tree's trunk split open with a gaping hole, crackling with arcs of thunder. Black blood spurted everywhere. The trunk began knitting back together at a snail's pace, but for two breaths the vines slowed. Jian Mao and Jian Jing seized the chance to hurl two Purple Sky Sect disciples toward Lady Di and Bei Ze before turning to back up their Junior Sister.
Jian Dan tossed the three she carried toward the rear and shouted, "Hit it while it's down!"
With both hands gripping the Mò Xī Jiàn, she spun and dove into the demon tree's range again. This time, she held nothing back. The last two captives had already died, their bodies sucked dry to heal the monster.
Kuang Dao took the handoff, flinging the three cultivators behind him before charging in blade-first.
The demon immortal, startled by the thunderous blasts, finally caught a breath. But when he realized the group had left their formation and were hacking at the demon tree, he quietly retreated two steps, ready to slip away while they distracted the monster.
He underestimated the Heavenly Sword Sect again. Jian Xu instantly caught his movement, eyes flashing as he called, "Junior Sister, Kan position!"
At his call, Jian Dan blinked with Cotton Candy, appearing right behind Yu Linhai. He reacted fast, swinging his blade back at her.
Her left hand swept the Mò Xī Jiàn to block, while her right fist, wrapped in the Obsidian Bracelet's glow, smashed into his shield. It didn't hurt him, but it shoved him back into the demon tree's attack range.
"You despicable bastards!" he roared, nearly grinding his teeth to powder.
"Thanks for the compliment!" she laughed, then darted back to join her sectmates in hammering the tree.
Lady Di and Bei Ze caught the three cultivators and quickly pulled them back. Everyone had risked their lives for this, so they weren't about to waste it.
Hu San peered out anxiously. When he spotted people carrying the rescued cultivators back, he shouted, "They're bringing them in!"
Wu Siyuan saw it too and opened the barrier. Hu San rushed out to help, and together they dragged the five back into safety. Lady Di's squad then supported from a distance, striking the vines that reached too far.
The Heavenly Sword Sect disciples fought with pinpoint precision. Every swing of blade and sword landed true, chopping vines into heaps across the ground.
Jian Chun noticed the severed vines still writhing back toward the trunk, trying to reattach. He made sure that wouldn't happen, skewering the fallen pieces and tossing them to Lady Di's group.
"Smash them to pulp! Don't let them stick back together!"
Lady Di and Bei Ze followed up ruthlessly. Each strike chewed through the vines, forcing the demon tree to burn more energy. The monster clearly hadn't expected anyone to dare fight it head-on, much less snatch prey from its jaws. For a while, the battle was evenly matched.
With Cotton Candy's help, Jian Dan slipped through the attacks and targeted the gaping wound, refusing to let it heal. Every so often, her fist crashed into the bark, widening the gap.
Now it was down to endurance. The Heavenly Sword Sect had plenty to spare.
The demon immortal finally tried to slink out while Jian Dan was busy at the trunk. But Jian Mao and Jian Jing blocked him, their twin blades combining into one overwhelming strike.
Even without spiritual power, the two sword cultivators' mastery made the blow heavy enough to drive him back.
"Are you ever gonna stop?!" he shouted furiously.
This time, he poured Xianyuan energy into his demon blade and slashed at them.
Cotton Candy whisked Jian Mao and Jian Jing aside in time.
His strike curved with them, but Jian Xu roared, "Retreat!"
Everyone, Jian Dan included, immediately withdrew. The demon immortal's blow slammed full-force into the demon tree.
A shrill scream erupted as a third of its branches sheared away.
The group tensed, ready for its retaliation. But instead, the tree's roots tore free of the earth, blood-red tendrils like human legs stomping the ground. Before their stunned eyes, the demon tree actually walked away.
It even tried to carry off the severed branch, but Jian Dan flung the Mò Xī Jiàn, pinning it to the ground.
The monster lurched faster and faster, vanishing from sight in moments.
"Sure knows how to run," Jian Chun muttered.
The group's attention slid back, faintly but unmistakably, to Yu Linhai.
Jian Dan tucked the branch into her storage bag, sealing it away. She didn't know what it could be used for, but a prize from such a spiritual beast was worth keeping.
The demon immortal, drained from the battle, looked like he'd swallowed poison. His face twisted in rage. "Which minor realm were these lunatics from? Didn't they understand the rules?"
"What do you think you're doing?!" he demanded.
"Senior, isn't that our question for you?"