The situation was dire.
Kolo was trapped, and Skimming Shadow Step had already stacked two layers of strain. If Yu Lingye forced another dash, she would likely be impaled by roots the instant she landed.
As she was thinking, a muffled thud echoed from deep within the suspended wooden cocoon, indicating Kolo was still struggling inside.
The Treant King wasted no time, sending its roots sweeping toward Yu Lingye from all directions. Intertwining dark shadows blotted out the sky above, and the stench of death was practically at her doorstep.
If she wasn't fast enough, she would just have to slow them down.
Yu Lingye retrieved the 【Dusk Fragment】 from her ring.
A pale yellow glow leaked through her fingers like a thin mist of sand.
“Twilight Inscription.”
【Current Mana: 9/140】
A circular, warm-toned barrier rapidly expanded outward with her at the center.
The surrounding sounds instantly slowed. The moment the roots whipping toward her touched the deceleration field, their speed visibly plummeted.
Splinters of wood froze midair, and decayed sap hung suspended like drops of thick black rain.
Only Yu Lingye could still move, but this state wouldn't last long.
【Remaining Deceleration Time: 5 seconds】
Yu Lingye took a deep breath and drove the staff into the ground. The longsword condensed in her right hand suddenly dissolved, reassembling into a long, slender bow.
The bow was cold, its lines sharp, resembling a crescent moon.
【Mastering Truth: Bow of Truth】
She raised her hand and drew the string, a Soul Thread condensing into an arrow on the bow.
Her remaining mana wasn't enough to boost the bow's power. With a slight thought, a golden-white glow lit up on her wrist, emitting a soft aura.
Moon stepped out of the light, appearing by her side.
Its hooves touched the ground, its red braided mane floating in the slowed space, and the horn on its forehead gleamed with a sharp light.
Connected in mind, Moon lowered its head and gently pressed its horn against the Bow of Truth. Pure holy power flowed along the bow and into the arrow.
The once fragile Soul Thread arrow was gradually enveloped in golden-white light, brimming with surging radiant power.
Yu Lingye applied force to her fingertips, slowly drawing the bowstring to its limit.
But this wasn't enough.
Immediately after, Moon used 【Hellfire】, wrapping a wisp of pitch-black flame around the tip of the arrow.
The black fire clung to the golden-white holiness. Instead of consuming each other, they were forcibly unified by the Bow of Truth, compressing into a single magic arrow surrounded by light.
【Holiness Infusion Complete】
【Hellfire Attachment Complete】
【Arrow of Truth Condensing】
【Remaining Deceleration Time: 3 seconds】
The Treant King seemed to sense a true threat of death, its single eye trembling violently.
Even within the deceleration field, that massive wooden palm continued to break through the deceleration domain inch by inch, pressing down toward the top of Yu Lingye's head.
Moon let out a low cry. At this moment, Yu Lingye's eyes were exceptionally cold.
“This long trade route ends now!”
She released her grip.
The Arrow of Truth shot from the bowstring.
The golden-white holiness and pitch-black Hellfire intertwined, turning into a beam of light that pierced right through the Treant King's descending palm.
Black fire erupted, burning along the palm and all the way up the arm.
The Treant King let out a piercing shriek, and the surrounding branches twitched restlessly.
Yet the arrow did not stop. It passed through the burning arm, cut through the sky full of branches and thick mist, and pierced straight into the crack in the Treant King's chest.
In the next instant, Hellfire violently exploded inside the trunk, blasting right through the core.
The Treant King struggled frantically, its ruined crown shattering, and the red light in its single eye flashed wildly.
It tried to use all its roots to extinguish the fire, but the flames only burned brighter and hotter, showing no signs of weakening.
【Corrupt Core Struck】
【Triggered Holiness Counter】
【Triggered Hellfire Continuous Burn】
【Critical Hit】
【Health: 0/5800】
The deceleration field shattered at this exact moment. The roots that had been slowed regained their speed, slamming down toward Yu Lingye all at once.
Moon lowered its body, hoisting Yu Lingye onto its back. Then, with hooves treading on light, it carried her rushing out of the deceleration field's range.
Boom!
Countless roots slammed down simultaneously, smashing a massive crater into the spot where she had just stood.
Moon landed in a safe spot with Yu Lingye on its back as a light screen floated before her eyes.
【The Crowned Treant King is dead】
The frantically twitching roots around them suddenly froze.
Immediately after, they began to turn to ash from their roots. Black dust was swept up by the wind like a reverse snowfall.
The wooden cocoon split open, and Kolo tumbled out, kneeling on the ground and coughing up a mouthful of blood.
She looked up to see the Treant King, which had been so overbearing just moments ago, snapping apart piece by piece like a collapsing castle.
Finally, the entire massive trunk collapsed at the waist, crashing heavily into the decaying leaves.
The flames gradually died out, and the mist began to disperse.
To avoid exposing Moon, Yu Lingye recalled it back into the Corona Band.
Kolo stood up shakily, staring blankly for a moment before turning to look at Yu Lingye nearby. She asked,
“You did all this?”
The strain in Yu Lingye's legs still lingered. She stood in place and exhaled softly.
“Are you surprised?” She looked up, her tone even carrying a hint of gentleness. “I did just save your life, you know.”
Kolo opened her mouth, looked at the roots fallen around her, and didn't argue.
If not for her, she really might have been turned into dried rabbit meat.
Once the surrounding mist fully cleared, the area previously hidden by the gray-white fog was finally revealed.
Decayed carriages lay scattered across the ground. Skeletal remains were piled among the roots, some long past the point of recognition.
And inside the cargo chests dragged out by the roots, there were actually several crates of gold coins, ores, medicinal herbs, and magical materials.
These were all the goods accumulated by the treant over the years from devouring caravans.
Just then, two spheres of faint light slowly floated up from the collapsed stump of the Treant King.
Kolo's eyes shifted. “Those are...”
Yu Lingye walked over slowly and reached out to touch the two spheres of light.
A light screen emerged.
【Obtained Item: Thousand-Year Treant Heart】
【Description: A core material condensed after the death of a thousand-year-old ancient tree. Can be used for enhancement, alchemical modification, and crafting items.】
【Obtained Item: Ancient Flower Seed】
【Description: An ancient seed left behind before being eroded by decay. It still retains a very faint life activity.】
Yu Lingye put the two items away. Kolo's gaze lingered on her hands for a moment, her heart stirring slightly.
Anything dropped by a monster like this certainly wouldn't be cheap.
But Yu Lingye had delivered the final blow. No matter how greedy Kolo was, she wouldn't stoop to stealing the spoils of war from the person who had just saved her life.
That would be too unsightly.
Kolo suppressed the itch in her heart, shifted her gaze to the surrounding cargo chests, and snorted deliberately.
“You sure are quick to pocket them.”
Yu Lingye glanced sideways at her. “Do you want them?”
Kolo rolled her eyes. “Do I look like the kind of rabbit who would steal loot right after having her life saved?”
Yu Lingye looked at her seriously. “A little.”
Kolo glared back. “Then your eyesight is terrible.”
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