The village elder reached out her hand and muttered softly, her voice filled with emotion.
"I've finally found you. You've finally come for me. Do you know how long I've waited?"
Her face beamed with a radiant smile as she spoke, and in the next moment, her body dissolved into shimmering specks of light that merged with the Tree of Life.
Zhang Nu, stunned by what he had just witnessed, rushed forward and grabbed Lin Xiao by the collar. He didn’t understand why Lin Xiao had done this. Why did he have to sacrifice the old woman to the Tree of Life?
“Why did you do this? Why sacrifice the old woman to the Tree of Life?”
Hearing Zhang Nu’s words, Lin Xiao looked at him with a mocking expression, as if ridiculing his naivety. In the next second, he brushed off Zhang Nu’s hand.
“Didn’t you tell me to save the Tree of Life? Take a look for yourself. Isn’t the Tree of Life slowly coming back to life now?”
Zhang Nu turned his gaze to the Tree of Life in disbelief. Sure enough, just as Lin Xiao had said, the Tree of Life was gradually radiating vitality. He was astonished by what he saw. Why was the old woman’s sacrifice so much more effective than the village chief’s?
“Why? Why is this happening?”
Lin Xiao, standing with arms crossed, observed Zhang Nu’s disbelief and spoke coldly.
“What’s so surprising about it? Her sacrifice to the Tree of Life is naturally more effective than the village chief’s.”
“Don’t forget, she was the most revered person in the village.”
“Her entire family has already been sacrificed to the Tree of Life.”
“She herself absorbed so much of the Tree of Life’s power; her sacrifice is naturally the best nourishment.”
Lin Xiao’s explanation left Zhang Nu stunned, yet he couldn’t deny its truth. The Tree of Life was undeniably regaining its vitality. What Lin Xiao said was accurate.
Meanwhile, even the YaoGuai could feel the restraints tightening around them.
“Why? Why has the Tree of Life come back to life?”
“What have you done?”
“We’ve been sealed in the Tree of Life for hundreds of years. Why help these people?”
Hearing the YaoGuai speak, Zhang Nu drew his sword, standing protectively before the villagers.
“Even if you’ve been sealed in the Tree of Life for hundreds of years, it was your own doing.”
“They wouldn’t have sealed you without reason. If not for your heinous deeds, things wouldn’t have come to this.”
The YaoGuai fell silent, Zhang Nu’s words striking a chord. Indeed, centuries ago, they had harmed the village and its inhabitants. But they had already been sealed for centuries—was that not punishment enough?
“We’ve been sealed for hundreds of years! Isn’t that enough? Do you still want to seal us again?”
Zhang Nu’s eyes flashed with cold resolve. These YaoGuai were reaping the consequences of their actions. Surveying the corpses strewn across the ground, his heart ached. If the YaoGuai hadn’t come here on a killing spree, he might’ve shown mercy. But faced with this bloodshed, forgiveness was impossible.
"Look at the carnage you’ve caused today. Do you think that warrants mercy?"
"If you hadn’t harmed these villagers, I might’ve let you go. But now, you’ll face your punishment."
The Illusion YaoGuai, hearing Zhang Nu’s words, threw back its head in a long howl, unleashing its full power. It wouldn’t allow itself to be sealed in the cold Tree of Life again, even if it meant certain death.
“If you refuse to let us go, then we’ll die together!” it roared. “I’d rather perish here than be sealed again.”
Zhang Nu’s eyes widened in alarm as he realized the Illusion YaoGuai’s intent. Among the YaoGuais, its power was unmatched. If it self-destructed, the resulting explosion would be catastrophic, likely killing everyone in the vicinity.
“Liu Hai!” Zhang Nu shouted. “Get the villagers behind cover, now! The Illusion Guai is preparing to self-destruct, and its power will be devastating!”
Liu Hai, understanding the gravity of the situation, hurried to shield the villagers. But could they truly protect everyone from the impending blast?