Chapter 183: Stealing a Piece of the Sect's Heart

Chapter 183: Stealing a Piece of the Sect's Heart

Hui slashed the petrified wood. Rather than trying to gouge out a huge chunk or cut a piece out, he aimed at the edge, where little of the borderline immortal aura permeated. The death qi weakened the edge of the wood ahead of the blade. Even so, the wood resisted. Green light surged up, only to die back as black invaded it. The death qi cut off a slender slice of the tree, and Hui struck.

The green aura pulsed, pushing out the black death qi, but a second too late. Thin as paper, a section of petrified wood laid in Huis hand. He flicked his hand, storing it away.

Green light burned. It touched at the cut place the way a tongue investigates a sore tooth. Once, twice, thrice. At that, the green light quavered.

Hui stood and brushed off his robes. Time to go. I should hurry back to the Black Asp Sects area before Ding Lao figures out where I ran off to.

The green light flashed. It roiled with anger. A pulse of rage blasted off it, shaking the trees all around. In all its years as the precious heart of Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect, nothing had dared injure the tree, let alone cut a piece off it! To do so was unthinkable, in fact, borderline sacrilege. Not a single elder in the sect would stand to see the tree disrespected.

Anger, rage, humiliation! The tree boiled, leaves swaying as if in a great wind, branches lashing about. Though the ancient tree laid petrified and motionless for untold millennia, now it burst to life and lashed about viciously. Its branches howled on the wind, its leaves screamed in panic. A being so powerful and ancient, and yet this was the first time it had been damaged! If any human cultivator could claim such a thing, others would call them a greenhouse flower, raised in a walled gardenand such was this tree!

Although, to merely call it a greenhouse flower would be a bit rude. After all, the trees incredible durability after so many millennia of sturdily cultivating, and its petrification on top of that, made it nearly impossible to damage. However, it had never faced anyone as brazen as Hui, who dared to use death qi directly on its bark without fear of the consequences.

Hui stared up at the tree, frowning. I only took a small piece. Whats all this for? You didnt even feel it! I carefully extracted the death qi afterward. Come on, dont overreact. Its only a little bark scraping.

Ding Lao and the other disciples looked up, startled.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

What is it?

Is that Mount Mu? What happened?

The whole forest is attacking!

I havent seen the forest behave like this not even when the sect was under attack!

The ground quaked around Hui. An intense sense of crisis slammed into his heart, and he threw himself upward, blasting directly through the earth to burst out on the surface. Petrified roots squirmed through the earth, slashing at him. They swiped at empty air, a second too slow to hit.

Hui landed. Leaves and small branches fell like rain around him. A heavy whoosh caught his ear, and he glanced up in time to see a branch slamming down at him. He threw himself to the side and barely dodged. The huge branch smashed into the ground, throwing up dirt. It showered down on Hui where he laid.

Play dead? No, ancestor tree would see through it! Theres only one way out of this!

Naturally not. If your tree claims one of ours attacked it, can it not say who attacked it? Erlan said, putting a hand to his chin.

Sect Master Mu scowled. Will you not divulge who attacked our tree?

Erlan spread his hands. You say that as if I must know. I was with Mysterious Heavenly Forest cultivators until moments ago. I cannot possibly know who was where.

You still bear responsibility for your disciples, Sect Master Mu thundered.

Naturally, naturally. I do not dispute this. However do you want me to punish all my disciples for a mistake one disciple made? A disciple you cant even name, Erlan said, shrugging.

You do you refuse to reveal who has done this? Sect Master Mu asked. Pressure weighed down on the palace once more. The branch creaked under them.

Im not refusing anything. Your demands are unreasonable. Unless you want to murder the entire delegation, I cant reasonably punish someone for something when I dont even know who did it, Erlan argued. I will punish whoever did this, you can trust me, but this is an internal affair. Outsiders have no right to butt in.

Damn demonic sect, Sect Master Mu growled. The branch began to tremble, the air shuddering around them.

Hui tensed and huddled under the bed, glancing nervously at the window. Should I run for it?

Erlan laughed. Despite the pressure, he stood tall, utterly unconcerned. Are you going to kill us all? You can try. But were the only ones who can control the lotus.

You louse. I could kill you with the back of my hand, Sect Master Mu snarled, at the end of his patience. He stepped forward, drawing his wooden sword. Sword qi buzzed in the air, cold and sharp.

Could you kill Yunxu? Erlan asked, chuckling. He stood there in the air, his hands tucked behind his back as casually as ever.

Sect Master Mu scowled. He turned away, green robes billowing, his wooden sword scintillating with a bizarre, rainbow light in his hand. Try this again, and it doesnt matter who Yunxu is, nor how powerful he is, nor about the lotus. I will slaughter every last one of you.

Erlan chuckled. Arms tucked behind his back, he watched Sect Master Mu go, a pleasant smile on his face.

The second Sect Master Mu vanished into the forest, Erlan turned toward the palace. His smile remained equally pleasant, but his eyes turned dangerous. So who bothered Sect Master Mus precious tree, hmm?

Hui trembled. Oh no. Oh no! II shouldve confessed to Sect Master Mu! Erlan is infinitely more dangerous! Especially if he realizes Im a righteous cultivator!