C49 Thousand Vine Ghost Tree

Chen Wu never imagined he would stumble upon a Treasure Weapon within the cave of the Purple Flame Lion King.

The value of a Treasure Weapon goes without saying. It's rare for a Grade 1 Demonic Pet Master to equip their Demonic Pet with such an item, as a Low-level Treasure Weapon could fetch between 400 to 600 Soul Crystals on the Demonic Pet Market.

A Middle-grade Treasure Weapon could command a price three times that, costing at least a thousand to two thousand Soul Crystals! Most Demonic Pet Masters couldn't dream of affording such luxury.

Chen Wu, having slain Hu Wang, had only managed to gather a little over 400 Soul Crystals.

Yet, the advantages of a Treasure Weapon were astounding. Take Blood Rain, for example; without the Wind Wings, its power would surpass that of ordinary Demonic Beasts at the same level. But to battle against higher tiers was nearly impossible. A Middle-grade Treasure Weapon could boost its strength by a staggering sixty percent, highlighting its significance.

Flame Spiritual Jade: A Low-level Flame-type Treasure Weapon that enhances the power of Flame Skills by twenty percent and comes with the 'Flame' special effect, which increases the absorption rate of Flame Energy by ten percent.

Chen Wu immediately equipped the Flame-type Treasure Weapon on Little Flame Firefox, significantly bolstering its power.

Near the Flame Spiritual Jade, he discovered the remains of a Demonic Pet Master, undoubtedly a victim of the Purple Flame Lion King.

Demonic Pet Masters often carried a Storage Space, and true to form, Chen Wu found a low-level Storage Ring on the unfortunate soul.

This ring's capacity was similar to Hu Wang's, and the contents were sparse, holding only about two hundred Soul Crystals.

Nevertheless, Chen Wu's expedition had been incredibly fruitful. He had not only evaded Hu Liang's chase but also turned the tables on his pursuer. Content with his haul and sensing the Purple Flame Lion King's imminent awakening, Chen Wu quickly exited the cave and fled along his pre-planned escape route.

The Hu Family's presence had vanished. It appeared that Hu Liang, having lost a Vice Pet, had been thoroughly intimidated.

A Grade 1 Demonic Pet Master can contract a maximum of two Demonic Pets, but raising one to Grade 6 is a long and resource-intensive process. Chen Wu had dealt a severe blow to Hu Liang's vitality by killing one of his Demonic Pets. To cultivate another Shadow Bat would take at least half a year, during which Hu Liang's soul would be wounded and in need of medicinal nourishment. Essentially, he wouldn't be able to practice cultivation until his soul was healed.

For a Demonic Pet Master, losing a year of cultivation is excruciating. It's like falling further and further behind one's peers.

Destroying someone's foundation is akin to killing their parents. Hu Liang was undoubtedly driven to madness, now obsessed with thoughts of revenge against Chen Wu.

Chen Wu, however, was unfazed. He believed that once he reached Flame City, he could match Hu Liang's strength within six months and would no longer have any reason to fear him.

But as he moved on, Chen Wu sensed something amiss. Even with the Purple Flame Lion King and its kin restored to sanity, the forest remained eerily silent. It was as if he were the only one there, without a single Demonic Beast to be heard.

Chen Wu's skin crawled with unease. When things are too quiet, there's usually a reason.

He refrained from using Blood Rain and instead hunkered down in the underbrush. Suddenly, a chilling, hair-like tendril extended from his ear to the ground, probing for any signs of life within a hundred meters.

"Sha Sha ~ ~ ~"

The sound of something creeping stealthily sent Chen Wu's heart racing. He had detected no sign of any Demonic Beast, so what was making that noise?

Before he could ponder further, a vine as thick as a finger ensnared his foot, and in an instant, he was hoisted upside down!

After spinning head over heels, Chen Wu was horrified to find himself dangling head-down from the top of a tree, high above the ground, like a trussed-up dumpling.

"What's happening? How did I end up hanging from this tree?"

Chen Wu frantically scanned his surroundings and then he heard it—a series of low, hoarse sounds filled with struggle and anger, yet utterly feeble.

Just a few meters away, it was as if dumplings were hanging from the trees, wrapped in vines like bells. Upon closer inspection, these were the very Demonic Beasts that had been embroiled in the earlier melee.

"It's a Tree-demon, without a doubt—a very powerful Tree-demon!"

Chen Wu felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had anticipated that Hu Liang would fear the Purple Flame Lion King, but he hadn't considered that Hu Liang's dread might stem from an even more formidable presence.

[Creature]: Thousand Vine Ghost Tree

[Attributes]: Plant-type

[Type]: Double Evolution (Ghost Tree to Thousand Vine Ghost Tree)

[Skills]: Vine Entanglement, Toxin Injection, Vine Whip Lash

[Potential]: Low Silver Grade

[Bloodline]: Immortal Sky Vine (Diluted)

[Level]: Bronze Grade 8

[Status]: Healthy

Chen Wu's courage faltered at the thought of facing a Grade 8 Plant-type Demonic Beast. He was in deep trouble now!

It made sense why Hu Liang had stood by, allowing the Shadow Bat to be overwhelmed and killed, rather than risking his own Demonic Pet. He must have known about the terrifying Tree-demon lurking in these woods all along!

"I've made a grave miscalculation..."

A bitter smile crept across Chen Wu's face. Had he known about the existence of a Bronze Grade 8 Tree-demon in this forest, he would never have ventured into this deadly trap. He would have preferred a direct confrontation with Hu Liang instead.

But Chen Wu wasn't without an escape plan. He possessed a Sacrificial Lamb. If attacked, or if he triggered it himself, it would negate the damage and allow him to teleport a hundred meters away. With the Blood Rain's swift movement, he still had a solid chance of making an escape.

[Ding! A sudden crisis detected, initiating the mission: "Survive in Death: Escape from the Thousand Vine Ghost Tree."]

Reward: 1 Low-level Cloaking Talisman

Chen Wu was on the verge of swearing aloud.

Damn it, is now really the time for you to be issuing new missions? My life is hanging by a thread, and you're not even trying to help me find a way out?

Chen Wu was left with no other option but to devise a plan for self-rescue.

"Right, the Thousand Vine Ghost Tree has formidable binding power, yet it's inherently fragile. It's not an issue if it remains hidden, but once exposed, its root is easily located and destroyed. I could call upon Blood Rain to sever the vines on my behalf, but that would surely draw the Ghost Tree's ire. Facing a Grade 8 Demonic Beast, escape is out of the question. I must muddy the waters..."

Chen Wu's eyes settled on the massive Purple Flame Lion King suspended in the distance, along with three or four Grade 6 Demonic Beasts nearby. An idea struck him.

"System, I need the Primary Healing Spring!"

"Please select the target!"

Wincing at the thought of squandering Exchange Points, Chen Wu fixed his gaze on the barely alive Purple Flame Lion King and said through clenched teeth, "That one!"

The Primary Healing Spring was a basic system skill capable of restoring both vitality and healing wounds. At present, only the Purple Flame Lion King had the power to contend with the Thousand Vine Ghost Tree.

A small light array materialized out of thin air above the Purple Flame Lion King, showering down a fine mist from five meters up.

The Lion King's strength and injuries began to visibly mend, and before long, its eyes slowly fluttered open.