C13 Great Harvest

Fortunately, the impact was only a glancing blow, and he could still bear it.

Chen Yuan, in mid-flight, froze, gazing dumbfounded at the mass of tree roots that had crashed before him. It wasn't just the cluster in front of him; all around, the previously writhing roots and vines had fallen into an eerie stillness, as if the chaos had never occurred.

Dead... really dead?

He stood still, cautiously waiting. The silent tree roots remained motionless. Chen Yuan tentatively kicked at the roots before him, and with no response, he was convinced that the creature was indeed dead.

Phew...

He exhaled deeply, then without a second thought, Chen Yuan turned and yanked the Azure Peak Sword from the trunk of the large tree behind him.

Looking around, the silence persisted. However, Chen Yuan took the opportunity to survey the Underground Cave.

It seemed to be deep beneath the surface, where the vast root system of a colossal tree had carved out a cavernous space, easily a hundred meters across.

The tree cages, he surmised, were likely traps for ensnaring prey to nourish the creature.

Without rushing to investigate further, Chen Yuan strode over to the Moonlight Stone and began cleaning it off.

As he did, the cave grew brighter, and to his delight, he found the Moonlight Stone, which he had assumed to be small, was actually as large as a grinding wheel. Hefting it, he estimated it weighed at least a hundred pounds!

This was a treasure indeed. If he could take it back, the tribe's gloomy living conditions would be transformed. While it was too much to expect one for every member of the Hunting Team, having two or three per team would be feasible, significantly boosting their survival prospects.

The discovery of the Moonlight Stone alone made Chen Yuan's journey feel worthwhile.

After moving the stone to a clean area, Chen Yuan turned his attention back to where the Moonlight Stone had been, suspecting more items lay hidden.

Using the Azure Peak Sword, he cleared away some debris and uncovered a few rusted weapons. Most were corroded beyond use, but two appeared salvageable with a bit of care.

While digging, Chen Yuan's brows shot up. He crouched down and unearthed a green jade slip from the dirt.

"A Jade Slip?" he mused, his curiosity piqued. "Could it be a manual for a secret technique?"

With that thought, he eagerly infused his divine sense into the slip.

The jade slip revealed its secrets to Chen Yuan—a basic movement technique known as Phantom Step, promising enhanced reflexes and speed for the practitioner.

"This is a find!" Chen Yuan grinned, thinking how this technique could have saved him from the roots' clutches.

But training would have to wait. He stowed the Jade Slip in his system backpack and continued his search.

Aside from animal skeletons and a pair of objects resembling antelope horns, he found nothing more of value.

He even sliced open the tree cages, but found them empty except for the remains of animals.

"What a waste..." Chen Yuan sighed, preparing to seek an exit when a faint rustling from above snapped him to full alert.

He sprang to the base of the tree and concealed himself in a shadow, vigilantly watching the spot above from where the rustling noises emanated.

As time trickled by, the rustling grew louder.

Soon, pebbles began to rain down.

At last!

Just as Chen Yuan was growing restless, a large chunk of rock thudded to the ground, followed by Wudian's voice, brimming with excitement.

"We've broken through! It's dug open! Mr. Mo, quickly check if Yuan is down there!"

Wudian and Mr. Mo were here too?

Chen Yuan was momentarily taken aback, then quickly realized why they had come. Overwhelmed with emotion, he stepped out from hiding.

At that moment, a dark head emerged from the newly dug hole. Illuminated by the moonlight, it was unmistakably Mr. Mo.

There he was, Mr. Mo's head poking through the opening, locked in a wide-eyed stare with Chen Yuan, who was standing in the cave below.

Upon seeing Chen Yuan safe and sound, Mr. Mo was visibly shocked.

"Yuan, are you alright?" Mr. Mo's voice shook.

"I'm fine. Why did you guys come down? Come, let's talk once you're here!" Chen Yuan replied with a grin.

In the time it took to sip a cup of tea, Mr. Mo and the rest had gathered inside the cave, their faces alight with excitement as they admired the massive Moonlight Stone, growing fonder by the minute.

"This Moonlight Stone is enormous! Bringing it back to the tribe will light up our home as if it were the surface. Yuan, you've truly outdone yourself!" Mr. Mo exclaimed, unable to tear his eyes away from the stone.

Chen Yuan chuckled and gestured towards the scrap metal he had unearthed, addressing Mr. Wudian and the others, "Mr. Wudian, take a look at these weapons. I've just dug them up. See if any are of use!"

"Alright!" Wudian grinned ear to ear, rushing to the heap of arms to sift through them. He selected a rusty, broken dagger. It was clear that before breaking, the blade had been two feet long; now, it was only about a foot, but still a significant upgrade from what Wudian currently wielded.

"This is the one! What a find! Once we get back, I'll have Lao Wang modify it. The other teams will be green with envy. We've really hit the jackpot this time!"

"It's not just that dagger—look at this pair of antelope horns. Polished up, they'll make fine weapons, perfect for hunting Wolf Spiders or even taking on an Arch Dragon!" chimed in Dunzi, brandishing the horns with evident excitement.

"Yuan, I took a closer look, and that Tree Spirit must have been centuries old, it's massive! How on earth did you manage to kill it?" A voice tinged with awe called out from nearby, drawing everyone's gaze to Chen Yuan.

While their curiosity had been piqued earlier, no one had directly asked until now. With the question hanging in the air, they all eagerly awaited the tale.

They had all witnessed Chen Yuan being ensnared and dragged off by the tree's roots. Yet now, here he was, not only unharmed beneath the earth but also the slayer of the very Tree Spirit that had captured him!