Published: February 9, 2025
During the earlier battle with the humans, quite a number of dried corpses had indeed perished, but the count was only a little over fifty thousand, not even reaching sixty thousand.
However, the sudden explosion took away almost that same number of dried corpses’ lives in an instant.
The humans were injured by the blast, but at that moment, they could hardly pay attention to it, as the scene was overwhelmingly shocking.
The previously vast and overwhelming opponents suddenly exploded into fragments, clearing the crowded battlefield and abruptly halting the fight.
This sudden turn left everyone in a state of shock.
Yet, it did not end there; a second wave of explosions followed immediately. The tubes extending from the Yama Tree took away the lives of the second wave of dried corpses before people even had a chance to react!
It was only at this moment that many realized the Yama Tree was engaging in 'self-harm'; it might have already consumed enough energy and was using this easier method to complete its final evolution.
None of the survivors who understood this felt happy about the enemy's self-destruction; rather, they were more worried, as this likely meant they were about to face a ninth-level mutated life.
"Charge!"
"Run!"
Two different voices shouted out simultaneously. With the external threat temporarily vanquished, they were now facing an even greater danger. The people who had fought desperately just moments ago began to diverge.
Some ran frantically towards the outside, while others charged towards the Yama Tree. Yet, some remained rooted in place, hesitant and unsure of what to do.
Most of those fleeing were from Linhai. Their fear of the Yama Tree had already seeped into their bones; they had no choice but to fight when surrounded earlier, but now, with the dried corpses suddenly exploding, their first instinct was to escape.
If they couldn’t handle an eighth-level Yama Tree, how could they possibly confront a ninth-level? It would be tantamount to seeking death!
Those who stayed behind were mostly the treasure hunters who had come to Linhai this time. They wanted to leave because the Yama Tree’s strength had instilled a sense of fear and feeling of invincibility in them. However, they were also unwilling to return empty-handed after such an arduous journey; they wanted to see if there were any opportunities to fish in troubled waters.
Leading the charge were the Ying City Coalition and the Ogre Chain, headed by Cloud Summit Villa.
The Ying City Coalition had made their decision the moment they entered; they had tied their fate to Ye Zhongming and Cloud Summit Villa. Having come this far, there was no reason to retreat.
Moreover, after nearly a year of contact with Ye Zhongming, they had gradually come to a consensus.
This was a man capable of creating miracles.
They hoped this time would not bring any surprises.
In contrast, the mood among the Ogre Chain members was more complex, especially for Ruan Xiao. If he could, he truly did not wish to follow Cloud Summit Villa and the people from Ying City to face the Yama Tree in a life-or-death struggle.
However, he had no choice but to go now, as he had only received part of his payment, especially since Ye Zhongming had not yet paid for the destroyed golden equipment, Clear Sky Fat Stream!
If he died here, it would truly be a business loss; as a businessman, Ruan Xiao could not allow that to happen.
He would rather help Ye Zhongming achieve victory again than see him and Cloud Summit Villa perish, which would lead to his own loss.
So, he followed the Ogre Chain but remained at the back.
In the short time since the human camp collapsed, all the dried corpses had exploded, and the tubes suddenly detached from the Yama Tree’s body for some unknown reason.
Now, the Yama Tree looked even more like a normal tree than before.
"I have to admit, you are stronger than I imagined," the woman’s face suddenly spoke, her voice markedly different from the previously frivolous and exaggerated tone. This time, it was steady and startling.