Chapter 267: The Eerie Giant Mulberry Tree

Lu Tianyu's Divine Sense focused on the roots of the mulberry tree where it touched the ground, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

The sound of a cry for help had come from these roots, yet even with his powerful Divine Sense, he could not see through the peculiarities of these roots.

The surface of the mulberry tree seemed to have some kind of inexplicable Restriction, making it impossible for one to see inside.

"Wow!"

"These mulberries must be at least tens of thousands of years old; such large mulberries, we are in for a treat!"

Shangguan Wan'er's eyes lit up: "I've heard that mulberries can nourish Qi and blood, improve eyesight, calm the mind, and increase soul power; they are of great benefit to cultivators like us. I never expected to encounter them here."

Murong Xue's eyes also lit up: "Indeed, I never thought there would be such an ancient tree in this Yaoshou Senlin. We've struck it rich."

Zhang Xiaocui clutched her stomach: "I'm a bit hungry; I want to eat some mulberries."

As she spoke, she flew up and reached out to pick a large mulberry.

Murong Xue and Guo Zhuying also flew over.

The rest of the group also flew over one after another.

They had been chased by demonic beasts and their nerves had been taut the whole way; now that they had finally relaxed, they naturally could not let such a good thing pass them by.

What they did not notice was that a blood-red light flashed across the mulberries, and the roots coiled underneath began to move.

"Stop!"

Lu Tianyu shouted loudly.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

Those flying behind stopped in their tracks.

The coiled roots suddenly lashed out rapidly, swooshing as they entangled the three women in front.

"Ah!"

The three women let out screams simultaneously.

They were just about to draw their weapons to sever the roots.

Only at this moment did they discover in terror that the magic power within their bodies had been suppressed, making it impossible to open their Storage Rings, and their dantian had also been sealed.

Zhang Xiaocui screamed: "Help!"

Chi chi chi~

Lu Tianyu immediately flicked his hands, shooting out over a dozen sword Qi, piercing through a dozen roots.

Pu pu pu~

Streams of black blood spurted from the roots, mixed with a foul, fishy stench that was nauseating.

However, the roots did not break; the pierced parts healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In less than three breaths, the roots were restored to their original state.

Ben Jieming shouted: "Everyone, form the sword array, strike!"

As his voice fell, the clanging sound of swords rang out.

The seven of them quickly formed a sword array, and a sword Qi over ten meters long slashed down toward the roots.

Clang!

One of the roots was severed, black blood gurgled out, and a sizzling, ghastly, and shrill sound arose.

"Strike!"

Ben Jieming was overjoyed and controlled the array to slash repeatedly, severing two other roots.

Zhang Xiaocui, Guo Zhuying, and Murong Xue took the opportunity to fly back, their faces pale and still shaken.

The moment they were entangled, they felt the Qi and blood in their bodies being uncontrollably drawn outward, and they were terrified.

If Ben Jieming hadn't severed the roots, the Qi and blood in their bodies would likely have been sucked away by the roots until they were drained into dried husks.

At this moment, how could they not know that this mulberry tree was not as safe as it appeared on the surface.

On the contrary, it was a ferocious tree that ate people without blinking!

"This mulberry tree has become a spirit and can suck blood; let's go around it!" Zhang Xiaocui suggested.

Lu Wenbin grabbed Zhang Xiaocui's arm tightly: "I'm glad you're okay, you scared me to death."

He glared viciously at the mulberry tree: "We can't let it scheme against us for nothing; let's chop it down to get revenge!"

Guo Zhuying was also still shaken: "Even if we can't chop down the whole thing, we must sever a part of it to prevent it from harming others!"

Murong Xue looked at Lu Tianyu: "Young Master Lu, what do you think?"

They were only making suggestions; everything depended on Lu Tianyu's will.

Lu Tianyu nodded slightly: "This tree has become a spirit; if we slay it, we will certainly gain benefits."

"However..."

He wanted to say that this tree was likely not so easy to slay, as it had lived for who knows how many years.

For this tree to stand tall in the Yaoshou Senlin without being devoured by demonic beasts, it must possess abilities they were unaware of.

But just at this moment, a strange thing happened.

The severed roots actually stood up on their own, then transformed into the likeness of three people.

Lu Tianyu recognized one of them; it was Zhao Zhongzhu from the Tianshan Sect.

Guo Zhuying exclaimed: "Zhao Zhongzhu, why is it you!"

"Junior Sister Yin, Senior Sister Zhong, you!"

She was completely stunned.

How could these roots transform into the appearance of people from her own sect, with their auras exactly the same? It was simply too strange.

How could the mulberry tree know these three people and transform into their likenesses?

Lu Tianyu was also extremely astonished.

With his powerful Divine Sense, he was actually unable to discover anything wrong with Zhao Zhongzhu and the other two.

He had seen Zhao Zhongzhu and his party, and he had memorized their auras and appearances.

He could be certain that the three were illusions, but he did not know why the mulberry tree had transformed into their likenesses.

His Divine Sense focused on the spots of black blood on the ground, and he frowned in thought.

Zhao Zhongzhu wore a look of pain: "Junior Sister, the flesh and blood of my body have been eaten by the mulberry tree; only this soul body remains, unconsumed."

"I beg you, Junior Sister, to save my soul body and let me enter the cycle of reincarnation!"

"If you do not save me, Junior Sister, my soul body will be trapped in this mulberry tree forever, unable to reincarnate."

Upon hearing this, Guo Zhuying's expression changed, and her delicate body trembled slightly: "You, you, how could it be like this!"

"And, and what about them?"

She was referring to the people Zhao Zhongzhu had led.

As she spoke, an extremely ominous premonition rose in her heart.

Although she very much disliked Zhao Zhongzhu's desperate pestering, Zhao Zhongzhu had, after all, harbored no evil intentions and had not forced her to do anything.

Now that Zhao Zhongzhu's flesh and blood had been consumed, waves of faint sorrow rose in her heart.

This was the faint sorrow of losing a friend, and it did not contain any element of personal affection.

A person she had seen and spoken to not long ago—how much time had passed, and yet they were already dead.

And as for those who were with Zhao Zhongzhu, there was no need to wonder; their outcomes would not be good either.

Guo Zhuying was completely stunned, at a loss and not knowing what to do.

Zhao Zhongzhu let out a long sigh: "Senior Sister, I am sorry; it was I who did not listen to your advice and went against you, leading the team on my own, which led to this result."

"I have failed you, failed the sect, and failed the trust that the brothers and sisters placed in me."

"Because of me, they have all died, and their souls are bound by this mulberry tree, unable to enter reincarnation; I beg you, Senior Sister, to save us."

He looked at Lu Tianyu: "Of course, act according to your abilities; if you cannot, then leave here and tell the sect elders, and let them come to save us."

Junior Sister Yin also wore a look of desolation: "Senior Sister, I beg you, we were wrong; we should have stopped Senior Brother Zhao and acted with you."

The person called Senior Sister Zhong also had a deathly pale face: "Junior Sister, I am sorry for making things difficult for you."

"You have always been aloof and did not mingle with us; I did not like you in my heart, and I was wrong."