Published: February 9, 2025
As Ye Zhongming leaped out of the attack range of the natural forces, the human camp led by Cloud Summit and the Ying City Alliance began their assault.
The facts were laid out clearly; either today they would take down the Yama Tree and break through to leave the flower-filled city, or they would perish here and become fertilizer for others.
There was no choice but to fight.
In fact, many quick-witted individuals realized that if they emerged victorious today, they might gain considerable benefits. People in the apocalypse often find the most advantageous factors for themselves in desperate situations, even if that factor is merely a glimmer of hope.
“The Yama Tree is retreating!”
When that green shadow blocked Ye Zhongming, many people saw this eighth-level mutated life form pulling back.
Although people were fighting bravely now, overall, the Yama Tree had the advantage. The dried corpses surrounded the humans and were continually charging, while currently only Ye Zhongming, being the closest, might be able to hurt the Yama Tree’s main body, yet he was blocked. So why was the Yama Tree retreating?
Soon, everyone understood the answer.
The Death Vines on the Yama Tree’s crown stopped writhing, began to retract, and transformed into hollow tubes. The branches also began to extend, their tips becoming sharp, even the root systems supporting its body stretched out.
These countless parts of the Yama Tree elongated in the air and then, like spirit snakes, stabbed toward the dried corpse horde!
No one could count how many there were; it was simply too many. Even if it wasn't as exaggerated as the number of dried corpses, there were definitely tens of thousands.
These tube-like things stabbed into the vertebrae at the back of the dried corpses' necks. Upon being pierced, the targets collectively trembled and then became fierce.
If an ordinary dried corpse was stabbed, these gray-white bodies would immediately shine, and even the similarly colorless magic crystals emitted brightness, their bodies becoming more filled and their momentum rising several tiers.
As for the half-dried corpses that were pierced, their bodies inflated, exhibiting peculiar characteristics, and became visibly hardened, almost gleaming like metal.
Ah!
A human, too close to a suddenly transformed dried corpse, was accidentally grabbed and bitten on the face. He screamed in terror, struggling desperately, attacking the dried corpse with every weapon and body part, but soon, his resistance weakened. When the dried corpse released him, this survivor fell down straight.
“They are absorbing life energy!”
Seeing that corpse appear as if all its bodily moisture had evaporated, someone exclaimed.
Many people felt a heavy weight in their hearts, faintly understanding the reason for the Yama Tree's retreat.
Humans surrounded it to obtain the magic crystals and materials from an eighth-level life form, to gain entry to a city that hid who knows what treasures. But what was the Yama Tree attacking humans for? Was it to vent its anger on Ye Zhongming? Clearly not. The Yama Tree might not have particularly rigorous thinking, and sometimes judging by human standards might seem a bit abnormal, but its fundamental objective had never changed.
It wanted to evolve, to progress to a ninth-level life. The humans it surrounded were the energy sources required for its evolution.
Now, it was finally going to start its meal!
“Xia Bai!”
Ye Zhongming shouted. His intention was clear; he had to stop the Yama Tree from this feeding behavior. Who knew when this creature would complete its evolution? Even if it couldn’t evolve immediately, its strength would increase from this feeding. Whichever way you looked at it, it was bad news for the human camp.
He called Xia Bai over, intending for this strongest individual besides him to deal with or distract the Yama Tree, preventing it from leisurely absorbing energy.
Xia Bai immediately charged toward the Yama Tree’s main body, taking over Ye Zhongming's position that was entangled.