Destruction ensued as the aura of rot spread everywhere. Yu Yan watched with eyes filled with both horror and awe as the countless vines that had been attacking them showed signs of withering.
Crumble.
The same happened to the towering roots as the sound of snapping wood reverberated through the area, followed by a collapse that caused the ground to tremble violently upon impact.
Woosh.
Without wasting any time, Xue Hui shot toward the enormous tree, leaving a streak of light as he tore through the wind like an arrow released from a bow.
Six yellow Origin Spheres appeared around him, blocking all incoming attacks as the vines and roots withered to death upon contact.
"Xue Hui! Are you okay? I can sense your internal organs collapsing one by one. We need to retreat now!" Yu Yan asked in horror.
She wasn't sure at first, but after confirming it, she realized that Xue Hui's body was rapidly deteriorating.
This concerned her greatly. Xue Hui's body was under tremendous strain. Although all his attacks were effective against the enemy, he was pushing the power of Origin to the absolute limit his body could handle, causing severe backlash.
In fact, with his current strength, he could only maintain his Origin of Rot form for ten more breaths before his body collapsed under the immense torment.
"I'm fine, Big Sister Yu Yan. It's just the backlash from overexerting my power, nothing serious to be concerned about."
Yu Yan couldn't bring herself to believe his words. The damage to his body was extremely severe, and even his voice couldn't hide the pain he was enduring.
Xue Hui and Yu Yan didn't stop. They flew downward, dodging all the attacks sent their way. Soon, they reached a point fifty meters away from the tree.
Xue Hui used the Origin of Space to further shorten the distance, disappearing and reappearing much closer to the tree.
This caused the ground to shake even more violently as additional roots sprouted to block their path.
Rumble.
The roots surged toward them, threatening to crush the two of them at any moment.
"Julin!"
A blinding light burst forth, and a white halberd flew into his hand. He let out a grunt as the weapon's weight placed even more strain on his already injured body, causing him to cough up blood.
Gritting his teeth, Xue Hui brandished the halberd before him, preparing to strike.
"Pierce!"
Rumble!
Swoosh!
Boom!
Xue Hui thrust his halberd so quickly that it created a deafening boom that distorted the air. Mountain-like pressure bombarded the roots and vines, tearing through them like a drill and opening a massive path for him and Yu Yan to fly through.
As they approached, the tree let out a creaking sound, seemingly trying to move its entire body. Its leaves began to fall, casting the two of them beneath a cascade of foliage.
"Pierce!"
Xue Hui drove his weapon forward, sending forth a burst of light that pierced through the body of the tree.
A gaping hole nearly ten feet wide appeared in its trunk, large enough to reveal the vast grassy plain hidden within.
Seeing this, Xue Hui sent Julin back to the Garden and accelerated forward, knowing he might not get another chance if he failed to enter.
"Not good, it's closing!" Yu Yan yelled in distress, her heart pounding rapidly. Waves of vines and root sprouts were converging on them, attempting to block their path.
The hole rapidly healed. In less than three breaths, it shrank from ten feet wide to barely the size of a head.
Woosh.
Xue Hui sent one of his Origin Spheres forward at lightning speed. The sphere shrank to the size of a marble and shot directly toward the closing hole, barely slipping through.
Poof.
The space around Xue Hui and Yu Yan rippled before the two vanished moments before the incoming vines and roots struck them.
Poof.
"Ahh!"
Switching places with his Origin Sphere, Xue Hui and Yu Yan successfully entered the tree just before the opening sealed completely.
Unable to control his descent, Xue Hui crashed heavily into the grassy field. He grunted in pain as several ribs snapped upon impact.
Seeing this, Yu Yan immediately flew over him and frantically assessed his injuries. She looked terrified as she discovered that some of his internal wounds were far too severe.
"Xue Hui! Oh heavens, you're bleeding everywhere! Quick, return to the Garden. We need to heal your wounds!"
He shook his head.
"I can't. This place has its own spatial laws. Although I can send everyone else back to the Garden, that won't work for me. If I leave this place, I won't be able to return with my current mastery of the Origin of Space."
Letting out a painful grunt, he forced his body to move and pushed himself upright into a sitting position.
Taking out a Nine Transformation Pill, he tossed the medicinal pill into his mouth and began regulating his breathing to absorb its effects.
Seeing this, Yu Yan floated protectively around him, taking on the role of guardian while he recuperated.
As she waited, she couldn't help but scan their surroundings. Her serious expression slowly transformed into one of fascination.
The inside of the tree was more like an independent realm.
It possessed its own sky, grassy plains, flowing rivers, and even small mountains.
The bark of the tree, stretching endlessly upward, resembled a colossal wall. Yu Yan looked up, hoping to see its end, only to watch it disappear beyond the clouds.
"This place is more like a subsidiary realm than the hollow of a giant tree. I wonder if anyone lives here."
That thought immediately caused her to heighten her vigilance. It would be dangerous for both of them if some unknown creature suddenly appeared.
Time passed, and the injuries Xue Hui had sustained eventually healed. After changing out of his tattered clothes and into a fresh set, he summoned the girls from the Garden so they could see the inside of the tree for themselves.
However, the moment they appeared, they immediately rushed toward him.
All of them wore worried expressions as they bombarded him with questions about what had happened.
Apparently, when he had suffered those severe injuries, the Garden had reacted as well, showing cracks and fissures throughout its landscape, frightening the girls immensely.
"I'm really fine. Look, I don't have a single injury left. I just overexerted myself using my Origin power, that's all."
While reassuring the girls, he gave Yu Yan a meaningful look, silently asking her not to reveal anything about their deadly encounter.
She responded by turning her head away and crossing her arms over her chest with an annoyed huff. His earlier condition had truly frightened her.
Nevertheless, she kept her mouth shut, much to the girls' disappointment.
"Hui-Hui, what now? This place looks massive. It'll take forever to search the entire area."
Now that they had calmed down and properly examined their surroundings, their worried expressions transformed into astonishment. Everything looked and felt exactly like the outside world. They could hardly believe they were inside a tree.
"We don't need to search the whole place. We only need to find Blood Soul Resin. They're usually about the size of a fist, translucent red in color, and give off a strong iron-like smell. If you find any, collect them. They're valuable treasures that can help cultivators break through to the next realm."
His words immediately excited the girls. Even Goddess Yu Yan listened attentively, interest flashing in her eyes.
"Let's split into groups. That will increase our chances of finding some."
As he spoke, Xue Hui summoned several Origin Spheres, shrank them down, and attached one to each girl.
Aside from Xiao Ning'er and Chen Linlin, everyone looked somewhat puzzled by his actions.
"Just in case any of you encounter a threat that's too dangerous to handle, these Origin Spheres can help you escape. Hold onto them and imagine entering the Garden. You'll be teleported there instantly."
Ye Ziyun and the trio nodded in understanding. They breathed sighs of relief, knowing they had a means of escape in such an unfamiliar environment.
"S-so how are we going to divide the groups, Master?"
Everyone perked up at Yue Ling's question.
"I choose to be in Boss's group!"
"Me too!"
"W-wait, I want to be in Master's group as well."
Mei Lin, Jing Ya, and even the flustered Yue Ling all voiced their desire to join Xue Hui.
This caused Chen Linlin's eyebrow to twitch in annoyance.
These three were supposed to be her friends, yet they immediately abandoned her ship to jump aboard Xue Hui's, leaving her behind.
"W-what? Do you think Hui-Hui is the strongest among us? You know I can kick his butt in a fight. You'll be safer in my group.
And why are you three choosing him over me anyway? We're best friends. You're supposed to stay by my side all the time."
She crossed her arms and huffed in dissatisfaction.
She was about to continue her complaints when she faltered beneath the deadpan stares she received from her friends.
"The last time we followed you, we got lost in a forest and ended up inside a demon beast's nest," Jing Ya said.
"Then you made us fight every single one of them. I literally couldn't feel my legs after that battle," Mei Lin added.
"A-after that, when we tried to search for your brother, we somehow ended up at the gates of Glory City. I still don't know how that's even possible, Linlin," Yue Ling said.
"Y-you guys..."
Xiao Ning'er quickly covered her mouth to suppress the laughter threatening to escape.
She really didn't want to laugh at her friend, especially since Chen Linlin currently resembled a puppy caught stealing treats.
Even Ye Ziyun had turned her head away, biting her lip to stop herself from laughing.
Since things had become chaotic rather quickly, Xue Hui took out several sticks and colored their ends to randomly determine the groups.
It didn't take long before everyone drew their lots.
Mei Lin and Yue Ling ended up in Chen Linlin's group. The two nearly cried when they saw that their sticks matched hers.
Jing Ya and Xiao Ning'er were paired with Yu Yan. Looking from her stick to Xue Hui's, a trace of disappointment flashed across Xiao Ning'er's face. For a brief moment, she considered exchanging sticks with Ye Ziyun, who had been placed in Xue Hui's group, but ultimately decided against it.
Looking at the final arrangement, Xue Hui displayed a satisfied smile. Each group was well-balanced in strength. He was confident everyone would be safe as long as they avoided careless mistakes.
"Quite the lineup, I'd say. Remember, we're here to search for Blood Soul Resin, not to engage in pointless battles. If you find yourselves in a difficult situation, use the Origin Spheres and retreat to the Garden. Your lives are more important than any treasure we can find here, so don't risk them, okay?"
Everyone nodded with serious expressions.
Danger and opportunity always went hand in hand, so they knew that searching for Blood Soul Resin wouldn't be as easy as they had initially imagined.
"Now that we're all set, let's begin searching for this place. Everyone ready?"
"YAY!"
As everyone answered enthusiastically, they disappeared in different directions and began their search.
End of Chapter 88
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