The Tree of Life returning to its former glory would only lead the villagers back to their old ways. There would be no real change—they would still depend on the village chief's powers.
"If that's the case, then let everyone perish together. The Tree of Life no longer needs to exist."
Hearing the village elder's words, everyone was stunned. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. The village elder, who had always been revered as a wise and kind woman, now revealed a completely different side.
Even Liu Hai was in disbelief.
Regardless of what the elder thought about the Tree of Life, she should care about the villagers’ lives.
Zhang Nu would not allow harm to come to the Tree of Life, nor would he let the YaoGuai freely harm the villagers.
"You insolent creatures, how dare you attack the villagers!"
"I won’t let you succeed!"
After saying this, Zhang Nu drew his sword and charged at the YaoGuai. The majority of the foes were small YaoGuai with minimal cultivation. Zhang Nu dispatched them with ease, cutting them down one after another. With every kill, he felt his strength growing. But Zhang Nu couldn’t afford to be complacent. More and more YaoGuai were gathering, and he needed to eliminate them quickly.
Seeing this, Liu Hai realized the situation was dire.
"Zhang Nu, leave these small YaoGuai to me."
"You focus on figuring out how to restore the Tree of Life’s power."
Zhang Nu nodded and rushed toward the Tree of Life.
He wasn’t a native of the village and had no idea how to revive the Tree of Life.
The village elder sat silently beside the Tree, muttering something to herself, her gaze vacant.
Lin Xiao, observing Zhang Nu’s determination to save the village, strolled up to him leisurely.
Zhang Nu immediately sensed that Lin Xiao might have a solution, "Do you know of a way to restore the Tree of Life’s power?"
Lin Xiao responded with a mysterious smile and a slight nod.
Seeing this, Zhang Nu felt a surge of hope. If Lin Xiao had a way to save the Tree of Life, the villagers might be spared from the YaoGuai's onslaught.
"Tell me, how can we save the Tree of Life?"
Lin Xiao examined Zhang Nu from head to toe, as if assessing a piece of merchandise.
Zhang Nu understood Lin Xiao's intentions. Whatever Lin Xiao demanded in return, Zhang Nu was prepared to comply—as long as it didn’t involve anything heinous.
"Lin Xiao, no matter how unreasonable your future requests may be, I’ll agree to them, as long as they don’t involve murder or arson."
"But right now, you must save the Tree of Life. The villagers cannot die at the hands of the YaoGuai."
Lin Xiao considered this for a moment before nodding reluctantly. Then, his gaze turned mockingly toward the Tree of Life.
The so-called Tree of Life was nothing more than a repository of lost souls. It didn’t just hold the souls of successive village chiefs but also the soul of the current chief’s wife. It was the presence of these souls, bound by love and sacrifice, that kept the Tree of Life alive and flourishing.
To restore its power, the elder’s soul needed to be offered to the Tree of Life. The Tree already housed the spirits of her grandfather, father, husband, son, and grandson. The village elder’s sacrifice would complete the cycle.
Lin Xiao slowly approached the old woman and activated his skill.
"Don’t you want to see your family again?"
"If you offer your soul to the Tree of Life, you’ll be reunited with them."
The village elder’s eyes slowly lost focus, her pupils shrinking. Lin Xiao had struck her greatest weakness. Everything she had done was driven by her desire to reunite with her loved ones.
Zhang Nu, seeing Lin Xiao’s strange behavior, gripped his sword tightly, his brows furrowed. If Lin Xiao tried anything sinister, Zhang Nu was ready to take him down immediately.
The village elder, however, seemed to be lost in a vision of her long-lost loved ones, a nostalgic smile spreading across her face.