Chapter 357: Passing the First Level

Su Yan had a basketful of sweet words, but that great tree simply would not "accept" her. In the end, even Ma Chulan could no longer stand to watch.

"Su Yan, why don't you just give up? Besides, with such a spiritual tree, what if it can't adapt to the soil and water if it leaves this place?"

Ma Chulan had originally thought Su Yan might listen to reason, but to her surprise, Su Yan replied dismissively, "Although the Profound Spirit Tree is precious, it doesn't have very high requirements for soil and water. What it needs is likely a massive amount of spiritual energy."

Ma Chulan immediately found a breakthrough point. "You said it yourself, it needs spiritual energy. You can't just plant it anywhere outside, can you?"

Setting aside the fact that the moment it reached the outside world it would immediately trigger a bloody storm, even in this state, its appearance would surely cause an instant sensation, wouldn't it?

"You don't need to worry about any of that. I've already decided where I'm going to plant it." Su Yan looked completely determined, clearly having planned everything out.

"Heh, hehe." Ma Chulan felt that no matter what she said, Su Yan would not let go of this idea. "But you saw it yourself, it is unwilling."

Behind the black cloth, Su Yan's gaze flickered slightly. The smile on her face slowly receded, replaced by a surge of hostility.

"If a treasure is not mine to have, no one else shall have it either!"

Looking at the Su Yan who seemed like a completely different person from just a moment ago, Ma Chulan's heart skipped a beat.

She couldn't be thinking of...

"Su Yan, calm down! This is the Profound Spirit Tree, a priceless treasure!"

It was highly likely that a second Profound Spirit Tree could not be found in this world; if it were destroyed, it would surely invite heavenly retribution.

Su Yan ignored her entirely, turning her cold gaze toward the Profound Spirit Tree.

"I will give you one last chance. Will you come with me obediently, or shall I destroy you?"

Ma Chulan's face fell, knowing her suspicion was correct.

The Profound Spirit Tree remained motionless, appearing just like an ordinary tree.

The corner of Su Yan's mouth curled up slightly, and she unhesitatingly untied the black cloth covering her eyes.

A pillar of energy gathered terrifyingly within her pupils.

It's over, it's really over.

Ma Chulan wailed in her heart as she witnessed this scene.

Since the Profound Spirit Tree possessed spirit, it would surely rather die than submit.

At the exact moment the energy in Su Yan's pupils reached its peak, the tree suddenly began to shake violently once more.

However, this time, not a single leaf fell.

Ma Chulan had even prepared herself mentally for it to attack them again, but in the next second, under Su Yan's "gaze," its roots began to slowly pull themselves out of the ground.

An inch, two inches...

Ma Chulan was completely dumbfounded.

What the hell was going on?

Was it severing its own roots?

A few breaths later, the entire Profound Spirit Tree flew up by its roots, blotting out the sky and sun.

Su Yan looked up at this scene, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.

Ma Chulan's worldview was completely overturned. Under her wide-eyed stare, the Profound Spirit Tree actually began to shrink rapidly.

First, it shrank to a size of a few yards, then it became several hundred meters tall, but even so, the shrinking did not stop. Finally, it transformed into the shape of a small blade of grass and flew directly toward Su Yan.

Su Yan unhurriedly extended her right hand.

That "blade of grass" actually floated within her palm.

Ma Chulan:...

Her jaw nearly hit the floor as she watched the leaves of the "blade of grass" sway gently against Su Yan's palm, looking exactly like it was acting coquettishly.

Wasn't it just acting "unwilling to die" a moment ago?

Turns out it was just a bully that feared the strong and bullied the weak?

"That's more like it. Don't worry, I certainly won't mistreat you." Su Yan switched back to her beaming, cheerful expression and placed it into her Universe Bag.

"Is... is that it? It's just over?" Ma Chulan felt her entire sense of reality being subverted.

Su Yan smiled faintly. "Otherwise, what?"

Before her voice had even faded, the surrounding mist began to slowly dissipate, and all the gloom and oppression vanished as well.

This time, not only Ma Chulan, but even Su Yan was somewhat surprised.

She quickly reacted and murmured softly, "So, the Profound Spirit Tree was the guardian of this first trial."

Zhou Li and Zhou Chong must have known this as well, which was why they had come to find it first. It was just that the Profound Spirit Tree was too difficult to deal with; not only had they failed, but they had also become trapped themselves.

Ma Chulan was too stunned to speak. A moment later, the mist in the entire forest had cleared completely, and sunlight poured down through the canopy of the trees.

"Did you succeed?"

Su Yan nodded, giving an affirmative answer.

At this time, the previously unconscious Zhou Li and Zhou Chong also woke up.

The moment the two opened their eyes, they experienced a brief moment of daze and confusion, but they quickly recovered.

"We are..."

"Young Master Zhou, do you feel any discomfort anywhere?" Su Yan walked straight up to the two of them, all traces of her previous expression wiped clean from her face.

Supported by Zhou Chong, Zhou Li stood up and moved his body. Aside from still feeling a bit dizzy, he felt no other discomfort.

However, in the next second, his expression became extremely grim.

"Are we still in the forest?"

"Young Master Zhou, are you not thinking clearly? Aren't there trees all around us?" Su Yan naturally knew what he was actually trying to ask, but they certainly wouldn't answer him.

Zhou Li's eyes darted around erratically, his emotions highly agitated.

"I didn't mean that! Why is the mist gone? Did you see the Profound Spirit Tree?"

Because he was so shocked, he had directly blurted out the name of the tree.

Su Yan immediately replied, "What Profound Spirit Tree? When Lanlan and I arrived here, you two were already like this."

After saying this, she specifically looked toward Ma Chulan, who was standing nearby. "Lanlan, did you see any tree that Young Master Zhou is talking about?"

Ma Chulan was no fool and understood her meaning instantly; she shook her head like a rattle.

"Young Master Zhou, look more closely. Isn't that 'spirit tree' you're looking for right here in the surroundings? Why don't you tell us what it looks like, and we'll help you look for it."

Zhou Li breathed heavily, his gaze falling on a clearing not far away.

That was the exact location where the Profound Spirit Tree had been, except now that it had uprooted itself to follow Su Yan, only a patch of dust remained.

"It's right there! There was a very, very large tree. Didn't you see it?"

This time, Su Yan and Ma Chulan shook their heads simultaneously. "Young Master Zhou, if there really were a tree as big as you say, it should be right here. It couldn't have grown legs and run away, could it?" Su Yan analyzed with a straight face.

Ma Chulan struggled to suppress a strange expression.

Seeing the confused looks on the two women, Zhou Li knew he couldn't explain it at all.

However, Su Yan was right about one thing: the Profound Spirit Tree would definitely not grow legs and run away!

But here, besides him and Zhou Chong, there were only the two of them...

(End of Chapter)