Chapter 1167

Gu Ding was stunned for a moment when the old man saw through his identity, but he quickly nodded and admitted it.

"Elder, I'm indeed a participant in this Path of Regal Domination. However, I'm here with no ill intentions. I just want to know more about this forest. "

As Gu Ding spoke, he took another look at the clan elder. However, the elder still gave off the feeling of an ordinary person without any cultivation.

"Ask whatever questions you have. I'll try my best to tell you everything I know." The elder smiled and nodded.

"This forest … What's going on? Are all the trees and vines blood-eating monsters? "Gu Ding asked the question he wanted to know the most.

"This forest is strange because there's a Demon Tree in the center of the forest. Rumor has it that the Demon Tree is an ancient tree from the eleventh level of Purgatory. It was planted here by an Almighty, and it's been hundreds of eras since then. It's said that the Demon Tree's innate aptitude is comparable to a human Holy Disciple monster. After so many years on this Path of Regal Domination, it's devoured endless flesh and blood and has long evolved to Holy King level. If it weren't for the restrictions of this world's rules, I'm afraid it would have become a Lord long ago. "

"That's amazing …" Gu Ding was a little incredulous when he heard this. However, he also knew that if it were a human Holy Disciple monster, the probability of becoming a seven-star Lord in hundreds of eras was very high. If it was promoted to Holy King level, it was normal for it to become a Lord in hundreds of eras. It might even become a Lord.

"According to the information I've received, this Demon Tree is much stronger than a human Holy King. It has one hundred and eight branches, and each branch's attack is comparable to a Holy King powerhouse's full force attack. Its branches can't be damaged in the slightest by anyone below Holy King level. Moreover, it has a lot of vitality and life force in its body. It can instantly heal any injury it suffers. Its only weakness is that it can't move. "

"The fruits of such a Demon Tree should contain a lot of energy, right?" Gu Ding's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

The elder's eyes suddenly widened when he heard Gu Ding's question. He seemed to have guessed what Gu Ding was thinking and nodded. "That's right. This Demon Tree will bear fruit once every era. Each time, it will bear 108 blood-colored fruits. After that, it would drop one every year and be absorbed by itself. When all the fruits on the branches have fallen off, the demon tree will bloom. Every time it blooms for thirty thousand years, its fragrance will spread for millions of miles. Then, the petals will fall off and new fruits will be born. "

"Before the fruits of the Demon Tree ripen, the Demon Tree is in the most danger because all 108 branches will attack. On the other hand, it was the safest when the fruits of the Demonic Tree matured. This is because a fruiting branch will not participate in the attack. "

"What state should the Monster Tree be in now?" Gu Ding asked urgently.

"It's now in the fruiting period, but there should only be 30 or so fruits left," the old man replied.

"Understood." Gu Ding nodded in satisfaction. He had gained a lot from the information about the demon tree. "Clan Elder, you've said so much about the demonic tree, but what does this forest have to do with the demonic tree?"

"This was originally a barren land. After the demonic tree was planted, many years later, this forest appeared. All the trees in this forest were the derivative life forms of the demon tree. It had too much life energy that it could not digest, so it created this forest. As more and more energy accumulated, the area of this forest became larger and larger. All the trees in this forest are actually equivalent to a feeler of the demonic tree. The movement of all the life forms that enter the forest will be sensed by the demonic tree immediately. "

"You mean that all the plants in this forest will attack other life forms under the control of the demonic tree?" Gu Ding frowned slightly.

"Not all plants. Only plants that have existed for more than a million years will have the consciousness to attack. Those that are less than a million years old are just normal plants. They are not aggressive and only have the ability to detect. "

"But, now that hundreds of eras have passed, wouldn't the number of plants that have existed for more than a million years be terrifying?" Gu Ding was frightened just thinking about it.

"It's not that simple. The demonic tree is restricted by the rules here and cannot grow above Holy King. Its derivative life forms are also restricted. Every once in a while, natural disasters will occur in this forest, destroying many plants that are more than a million years old. Only those plants that are less than a million years old and have no consciousness will not be affected by natural disasters. If not for the existence of natural disasters, with the ability of the demonic tree, it would have expanded its territory to every corner of this side of the world. However, even with the existence of natural disasters, the number of plants in this forest that have the consciousness to attack still accounts for more than thirty percent. "

"What is a natural disaster?" Gu Ding asked curiously.

"Natural disasters such as wind, fire, lightning punishment, and ice. Every time a natural disaster occurs, a large number of plants with the consciousness to attack will die. Especially when a plant is about to break through to Holy King, the arrival of natural disasters will be unusually strong and strangle it in the cradle. So, until now, in the entire forest, there is only one Holy King plant, the demonic tree. "

"Although this forest is dangerous, as long as you don't provoke the demonic tree, it is actually a good place to cultivate. You should have noticed that killing the plant gremlins here will give you a lot of energy and Rule Fragments. These are actually released from the demonic tree's body after it has absorbed enough. As for the fruit of the demonic tree, the energy it contains is purer, and the Rule Fragments are more complete. In the past, there were even a few talented Holy Lord level monsters who swallowed enough Rule Fragments and became Holy Kings! "

This part of the information given by the tribe elder made Gu Ding's eyes light up. He had already become a Holy King, so the Rule Fragments did not mean much to him. However, for Liliath, Biggie, and the others, this forest was very likely to be a great opportunity for them to break through to Holy King.

"I must get the fruit of the demonic tree!" Gu Ding secretly made up his mind.

"Tribe elder, do you know the specific location of the demonic tree?" Gu Ding asked.

"I have a map here, but …" The tribe elder paused, then looked at Gu Ding with a hint of slyness in his eyes. "I can't give you the map for free."

"Of course, I can exchange it with something." Gu Ding had never thought of taking the map for free. He just did not know what would be more suitable to exchange for it.

"I want a fruit of the demonic tree." The tribe elder stared at Gu Ding. He was a little afraid that Gu Ding would reject the request. After all, it was not easy to obtain the fruit of the demonic tree.

"Sure." Gu Ding frowned slightly, but he agreed in the end.

Gu Ding did not think that the value of the demonic tree's fruit was much higher than the map, but he felt that the old man had deliberately mentioned the demonic tree's fruit from the beginning, as if he was scheming against him. This made him feel a little uncomfortable.

The tribe elder slowly took out a leather map from his arms and handed it to Gu Ding.

"Aren't you afraid that I won't come back after I take the map?" Gu Ding asked with a smile.

"I've lived for so many years, and I've seen enough. Whether you come back or not, it's your choice, my young friend." After the tribe elder finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes and said no more.

Seeing this, the unhappiness in Gu Ding's heart lessened a little. He saluted the tribe elder and turned to leave.

Not long after Gu Ding left, the tribe elder slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the sky outside the window. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm at the end of my life and have nowhere else to go, I wouldn't have been so thick-skinned as to scheme against a junior … Sigh … How embarrassing …"